Lights by the Lake 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival lantern light up is back again at the Jurong Lake Gardens. The annual event is organised by NParks. It turns the gardens into a nightly festival of light, culture and storytelling. The idea is to celebrate Mid-Autumn under the moon (lanterns optional!), but also to draw you into legends and local heritage. Today, “Lights by the Lake” has become a signature fixture on Singapore’ mid-autumn festival. The event used to reside at Gardens by the Bay, but now takes its own place here at the Jurong Lake Gardens. Let’s take an explore of all the lanterns on display.
The best time to visit is after dusk where the lanterns turn on and glimmer among trees and paths. The event runs from 27 September to 12 October 2025, with the event daily from about 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Last year the event ends at earlier at 10pm.
Despite this year’s edition being part of the SG60 commemoration, this year’s event is more scaled-down than last year. Last year’s lanterns were more extravagant and more impressive too. Possibly due to last year’s even coinciding with the re-opening of the Jurong Lake gardens revamp too. Let’s see what’s on the light up this year.
Tale of Journey to the West told
The Journey to the West lanterns this year form the heart of the festival. The Lakeside Garden’s Lakeside Field is bestowed with scenes that glow with colour and meaning. Each set recreates a chapter from the famous Chinese novel. It weaves together morality, perseverance, and transformation through light and artistry.
The trail begins with the Five Elements Mountain, where Sun Wukong was imprisoned by Buddha after rebelling against heaven. In folklore, this mountain represents restraint and the beginning of enlightenment. The Monkey King is depicted pinned beneath layers of glowing rock, his defiance slowly giving way to humility. Also, the lantern mountains glow in calming tones. It tad symbolises both punishment and rebirth, a reminder that even great powers must bow to wisdom.
Further ahead, the Flaming Mountain lanterns lights up in fiery red and orange hues. It is one of the more vibrant and dynamic sets. It shows the travellers struggling through searing heat. This classical story tells the tale where Tang Sanzang and his disciples must cross a burning desert cursed by the flames of a heavenly furnace.
The Monkey King eventually borrows the fan of Princess Iron Fan to extinguish the blaze. A rather powerful fan indeed. Also, the display here shows both the raging inferno and the massive magical fan in motion. It tad symbolises endurance and wit over brute strength.
Butterfly Field lanterns
The Spider Demon Cave wraps up The Journey to the West lanterns, located at the Butterfly Field. Here, the glowing spider webs stretch between lantern trees, with demon maidens spinning traps of light and silk.
It portrays both the allure and peril of desire, a story of temptation and illusion with seven spider demons try to seduce and ensnare the travelers to feed on their flesh. Sun Wukong uses his cunning and strength to rescue his master. The spiders here are notably motorized and move too. Lastly, the “Returning with the Scriptures” display, the climactic scenes of the journey, and thematic installations showing loyalty, sacrifice, transformation.
Also, each of these scenes feels connected not by story but also through the moral lessons from each character. For instance, Sun Wukong learning discipline, Zhu Bajie confronts laziness, and Tang Sanzang embodying compassion.
Together, they show how enlightenment is achieved not through a single victory, but through many trials and self-reflections journeying together. The lantern craftsmanship is lifelike with their forms illuminated from within. Though it appears that some of the lanterns look similar and are duplicated reused for the various different scenes.
Chinese Garden lanterns
Most of the Chinese Garden lanterns are located at the garden entry gate and white rainbow bridge leading into the island Grand arch. The Path of Harmony archway with white rabbits greets you at the Chinese garden entrance.
Also, the White rainbow bridge here is lit on both ends with rows of lanterns, titled “Bridge of Radiance” It does add to the lantern atmosphere.
Interestingly, the Chinese garden Grand Arch also serves as a projection canvas, but one with simple lights these and not those by digital facade projection we typically see at night festivals.
Hourly Cloud Pagoda music and light show
Furthermore, the Cloud Pagoda is a centrepiece is the centrepiece here. Here, the Moonlight Crescendo plays every 30 minutes from about 7:30 pm till 10pm, you can catch light-and-projection show cast onto the pagoda’s surfaces.
It is tad dramatic, with shifting colours timed to music and silhouettes dancing across the architecture. This is courtesy of spotlights placed on the pagoda itself.
Here at the Lotus Pond Stoneboat is the Chang’e and The Moonlit Garden lantern display. This one stands apart from the Journey to the West sets, yet fitting of the Mid-Autumn theme perfectly.
The glowing figure of Chang’e (the Moon Goddess) can be seen floating above a sea of lighted lotus blooms. Her long sleeves appear to flow like waves of silk with a soft white radiance surrounding her.
It tad reflects off the lily pond water surface. In Chinese folklore, Chang’e ascended to the moon after drinking an elixir of immortality, leaving her husband Hou Yi behind. It is tad a bittersweet story of love, separation, and eternal grace.
Japanese Garden lanterns
The Japanese Garden sector has a subtler but still magical feel and is not as crowded as the other 2 garden sectors with fewer lanterns. A highlight here be the circular floral garden lantern display, rows of veil of lanterns circling the area.
Also, taking center stage here is the Blossoms beneath the moon display, with lantern cranes, cherry blossoms and the moon themed and built around the red wooden bridge.
It is one of the more picturesque lanterns out there and good for group photos. Just watch the moon backlight when taking your photos (HDR mode recommended) as it may wash out your subjects in black.
Moreover, the Lantern Dream of Little Mei at the Resthouse Pond is described as a cute or whimsical display, with Little Mei aboard a floating boat lantern. Together with lantern fishes, the boar appears to drift across the pond to reunite with her family on the Mid-Autumn night. The imagery evokes a dreamlike journey.
Japanese Garden Sunken garden lightup
Also, the Sunken Garden see a return with the Sunken Garden Illumination. It is a play of coloured light, mist, and audio that layers the usual quiet ambience with a soft glow.
You can hear the sound of water splashing in the distance, with subtle lighting along paths reflecting from the pond water, and artistic lighting of flora makes this garden side feel meditative and dreamlike. Also, if you need a break to cool down, there is also an small ice cream shop with seating here serving ice cream waffles.
Lastly, the Water lily pavilion is an open activity space, focused on Community events such as Singapore Community Cats, and astronomy open house organised by the Science Centre Singapore. Here you can have a go viewing the full moon from telescopes.
The lake scape here rather is peaceful and quiet, especially from 9pm. Here, you can take a pause in the serenity. It feels like a natural centrepiece for the Mid-Autumn Festival, connecting the folklore of the heavens with the light of the earth.
Food market and festival events
Through the entire gardens, you can find adorable illuminated rabbit lanterns in varying poses. Some can be seen playing with Mooncake, serving tea, or sitting around.
It is a nice touch and does add ambience and fillers in the quiet parts of the gardens, as well as guide you towards attractions. There are also some solar powered bunny plastic seats which guides the way.
You can also find the Food Market and the Wings of Light installation here at the Lakeside Field. A rather gimmicky relook at the wings which resides at the Japanese Gardens. Also, the food market is typical of a Pasir Malam (night market) letting you pause for snacks, soak up the atmosphere, and recharge before going deeper into the lantern trail.
Notably, there is no carnival funfair here at the Butterfly field like that of last year. Also, notably, the Lakeside Garden this year has an absence of activity and carnival tents. These typically hosts minor family-themed events, wishing lantern ponds.
Though many of the activities had moved to the Japanese Garden Water lily pavilion end, which may not be as accessible or known to most visitors.
Fringe activities
Speaking of events, there is also a Roving Art Studio organised by the National Gallery Singapore on some weekends. Here, you can make mooncake-stamp art or visit a miniature kampong display. Though the event may not be on your visit.
Also, Lantern Riddles is back this year again at Wave Plaza by the passion wave building running from 6:30 to 9:30 on most selected nights (e.g. 29 Sept to 2 Oct, 6 to 9 Oct). You you can test your wit on the stage, as well as on-stage cultural performances, featuring music, dance and instruments.
Wrapping up, other events here includes NParks Concert Series: Rockestra held only on 11 Oct at the Chinese Garden Ficus Lawn. It is billed as “Dancing in the Moonlight,” with local artists playing under the moonlit sky. To most visitors, this area would be just an empty stage most of the time sitting on a field which could house more lanterns light-up like last year.
Wrapping up
Still, it is pleasing that this year’s event saw a welcome extension of the operating hours to 10:30 pm (from 10pm last year) which gives more time for viewing, especially if you are coming in after dinner time. The crowds thin out on weekdays, giving you more breathing space. I found evenings near opening time or after 9 pm better for more contemplative strolling.
All in all, that wraps up out exploration of this year’s Lights by the Lake 2025 at Jurong Lake Gardens. It is tad a more scaled back version of last year’s festival the clearer emphasis on Journey to the West with a pretty a cohesive narrative storyline rather than a series of separate installations. I found this year’s lantern display captures that emotion well. It is calm, elegant, and a tad melancholic. The balance of spectacle and quiet moments, of story and ambience, works well. If you like lanterns, folklore or garden walks under the moon, this edition is definitely worth your time.
