Little Guilin at Singapore

Look at this picture, doesn't it look somewhat like Guilin, China? 

This was the scene at Bukit Batok Town Park, on August 14th, 2021, the Saturday a week ago. It is called Little Guilin by locals because of its resemblance to Guilin. Geographically the town sits at the eastern boundary of the west region of Singapore, and it is densely populated. The park is easily located in the map, and not hard to get to, but parking could be a challenge. The car park at the Stadium, north of the park is a good parking place. Simply continuing driving on Bukit Batok East Avenue 5, passing the park from south, and turn right into the stadium parking. The carpark is only a short walk to the park without the need to cross streets.

Little Guilin at Singapore

areas around little Guilin

Walking to the park from the stadium car park, we unknowingly get to the northwest bank of the lake, a shaded area, with a great view of rock formation and the blue sky with white clouds in the background. What a beautiful scenery from every angle, just as claimed. I also noticed a guy with  his camera's huge lens aimed at the ridge of the large cliff.

path to the park from stadium car park

Northwest side of little Guilin

A big lens aiming at the the edge of the big rock

View from looking north

view from southwest

View from southeast

Another view from southwest

I tried to identify what the big lens aimed at and I spotted a big bird perched on a small tree at the ridge of the big cliff, which made calls on and off. It turned out to be a grey headed fish eagle*.  The eagle stayed for a while, and flew away. Then two fish eagles flew into sights, and one was chasing the other, maybe a courting ritual, but eventually they parted their ways. One, likely female eagle, flew into the woods on the northern side of the cliff, and the male returned to the tree on the rock ridge.

Grey headed fish eagle 

There are fish eagles, there must be fishes. I saw some tiny fishes swimming in the lake, apparently too small for the eagles. Lily spotted a big fish, 1.5 to 2 feet long!, swimming in the water close to where we sat, and disappeared. I saw it too upon her alert, but did not capture it on camera.

The other animals in the lake are turtles, quit a few of them, and birds in the woods around the lake.

Little Guilin is small, only 40 acres in area. It is beautiful, quiet, elegant and good for a stroll or picnic by the lake, especially when it is off peak hours.

A turtle in the lake

several turtles on the right end of this log

* according to mothership.sg, there are only 12  to 18 breeding grey headed fish eagles in the wild in Singaore