Garden of Peace

Getting started

Garden of Peace: Quick Overview

Garden of Peace is one of two NEA-managed gardens in Singapore where families can scatter a loved one's cremated ashes, rather than placing them in a columbarium niche. It's located within Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, and has been operating since May 2021.

Booking costs a fixed $320, the garden is open daily from 9am to 5.30pm (except maintenance days), and only fine, processed ash can be scattered -- bone fragments need to be processed at an Ash Collection Centre first.

Families typically choose Garden of Peace over its newer counterpart, Garden of Serenity, either because it's more convenient to their home or because the cremation itself took place at Choa Chu Kang Crematorium rather than Mandai.

Before it opened, families in Singapore wanting to scatter ashes had essentially one option: arranging a private sea scattering. Garden of Peace introduced a government-run, land-based alternative for the first time, which is part of why NEA has continued expanding this service since -- Garden of Serenity followed in 2025 specifically to meet growing demand.

Understanding the setting

What Is Garden of Peace?

Garden of Peace is designed as an open garden setting rather than a clinical facility -- NEA describes it as offering a serene, tranquil environment for families to scatter ashes with dignity. The designated scattering lanes are spaced apart and separated by trees and hedges, giving each family a degree of privacy during the scattering itself.

Each lane is lined with a bed of pebbles, where families gather to view and take part in the scattering. It's a markedly different experience from a columbarium visit -- there's no fixed marker or plaque afterward, since the ashes become part of the garden itself rather than remaining in an individually identifiable spot.

As Singapore's first dedicated inland ash scattering facility, Garden of Peace was built specifically in response to demand from families who wanted a scattering option beyond sea scattering or private arrangements -- something with the same sense of permanence and government backing as a columbarium niche, but without a fixed physical resting place.

NEA publishes an IAS brochure and short introductory videos, in both English and Chinese, that walk through what a visit looks like before you arrive -- worth watching beforehand if you'd like to know exactly what to expect, particularly for family members attending their first scattering.

Where scattering takes place

The Four Ash Scattering Lanes

Garden of Peace has four named scattering lanes -- Acacia, Begonia, Camellia and Daffodil -- each marked at its entrance with its own signpost. The names are purely aesthetic rather than tied to religion or any other significance; Acacia and Camellia are the longer of the four lanes, while Begonia and Daffodil are smaller. Every lane has its own water tap and a stone bench for family members to sit.

Acacia

Acacia is one of the two longer lanes, marked at its entrance by a signpost carrying a leaf motif and the letter "A". Its extra length gives a slightly more spread-out feel than the smaller lanes, which some families prefer for a larger gathering.

Begonia

Begonia is one of the two smaller lanes, marked with a leaf-motif signpost and the letter "B". Its more compact size still comfortably fits a small family gathering, and its water tap and stone bench are set up the same way as every other lane.

Camellia

Camellia is the other of the two longer lanes, its signpost carrying a rose-like flower motif alongside the name. Like Acacia, its longer footprint gives families a bit more room during the scattering itself.

Daffodil

Daffodil is the second of the two smaller lanes, its signpost marked with a daffodil flower motif and the letter "D". It sits at the opposite end of the garden's layout from Acacia, so which lane ends up more convenient can depend on which gate a family enters from.

Which lane a family uses on a given day depends on which lanes happen to be operational at the time, not a fixed assignment -- NEA rotates lanes out of use periodically for maintenance, resting a lane for roughly three months after it has taken a build-up of ash before reopening it. A lane under maintenance is typically covered over rather than left as bare pebbles.

It's worth noting down which lane your family scatters in, even though NEA itself doesn't record or guarantee it for future visits. Families who want to return to the same spot in later years -- to leave flowers or say a prayer -- will need to remember it themselves, since there's no plaque or marker the way there would be at a columbarium niche.

Getting there

Main Types, Options or Approaches

North Gate

The North Gate is located along Old Choa Chu Kang Road, near the bus stop "Opp CCK Cemy Office" (Bus Stop ID 31139). This is the entrance closest to the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Office itself, making it a convenient option for families who are also handling other cemetery-related matters on the same visit, such as a burial booking or exhumation enquiry.

South Gate

The South Gate is located along Cemetery South Street 18, at the junction with Muslim Cemetery Path 11. Which entrance is more convenient generally depends on which part of the cemetery grounds you're approaching from, and families driving in may find one gate offers easier parking access than the other depending on traffic on the day.

Booking Your Visit

Booking is done through NEA's ePortal or in person at the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Office, with the $320 fee payable at the counter by NETS, Cash Card or Credit Card. You'll need the Application for Inland Ash Scattering and identification for the applicant or next-of-kin. Online booking through the ePortal is generally the faster route if you already know your preferred date and time.

Choosing a Time of Day

Garden of Peace is open 9am to 5.30pm daily except maintenance days, which gives families reasonable flexibility to choose a time that suits the ceremony they have in mind -- whether that's an early morning visit or a late-afternoon one. Mornings tend to be cooler and quieter, which some families prefer for a more contemplative visit.

The full picture

How It Works in Singapore

1. Apply on NEA's ePortal

Applications for an ash scattering session are made on NEA's ePortal at eportal.nea.gov.sg. A confirmation slip is issued once the application is successful -- bring this along with the cremated remains (if already in your possession) on the day.

2. Ashes Are Processed at an Ash Collection Centre

The confirmation slip and cremated remains are brought to an Ash Collection Centre at Choa Chu Kang Crematorium or Mandai Crematorium, where staff pulverise the remains into fine ash and place it into a one-time-use canister provided by NEA. Only fine ash in this NEA-issued canister can be scattered -- ashes brought in any other container aren't accepted.

3. Prayers or Religious Rites, If Wanted

Families who wish to conduct a prayer or religious rite before scattering can do so at the ash sorting station at the Ash Collection Centre, or at the dedicated prayer facility located near the North Gate of Garden of Peace. Neither location is compulsory -- families who don't want a formal rite can proceed straight to the scattering lane.

4. The Ashes Are Scattered in a Designated Lane

Once ready, the family proceeds to whichever lane is operational that day and scatters the fine ashes onto the bed of pebbles. Because lanes are spaced apart with trees and hedges between them, families generally have a private, unhurried setting for this part of the visit.

5. Watering the Ashes Into the Soil

This step is mandatory, not optional: families use a watering can, filled from the lane's foot-pedal-operated tap, to help the remaining ashes percolate through the pebbles into the soil below. Promisedland Casket's funeral director guides families through this step on the day, so nobody is expected to know the process beforehand.

6. The Empty Canister Is Discarded

The now-empty NEA canister is placed into a designated canister depository near the lanes -- a bin reserved specifically for these biodegradable canisters, not general litter.

7. The Lane Is Later Rotated for Maintenance

As ash accumulates in a lane over time, NEA periodically closes it and transfers the ash soil to a designated area within Garden of Peace, giving that lane a roughly three-month rest period before it reopens. NEA rotates lane closures so that some lanes always remain available -- families don't need to do anything for this to happen, and it happens well after the scattering itself, not on the day.

Worth knowing

Important Decisions and Considerations

Only Fine Ash Is Accepted

This is worth confirming before your visit -- if the ashes haven't yet been processed at an Ash Collection Centre, they can't be scattered at Garden of Peace, and you'd need to reschedule after completing that step first.

There's No Individual Marker Afterward

Unlike a columbarium niche, scattering at Garden of Peace doesn't leave a specific, visitable marker for that individual. Families who want a specific physical location to visit going forward may prefer a niche instead -- this is worth discussing before booking, since scattering can't be undone.

On-Site Facilities

Each lane has its own foot-pedal-operated water tap, used to fill a watering can for the mandatory percolation step, and a stone bench where family members can sit. A dedicated flower tray -- a metal rack structure separate from the scattering lanes themselves -- is provided for families who wish to leave condolence flowers, whether on the day of scattering or on a return visit in later years. This is distinct from the lanes themselves, where NEA does not permit flowers or other offerings, since loose items would interfere with ash percolating into the soil.

Empty canisters go into a designated depository bin found near the lanes, clearly marked "For Canister Only" -- it isn't a general litter bin, and other rubbish shouldn't be placed inside it.

Garden Rules and Etiquette

Garden of Peace is designed for and open to all religious faiths, but a specific set of rules keeps the environment tranquil for every family using it. NEA's posted notice at the garden, shown below, asks visitors to observe the following:

• No burning of joss sticks, joss paper, or any other kind of offering
• No playing of music or performing of religious ceremonies
• Keep volume down out of respect for other families
• Do not relocate or remove any object from the garden
• No littering, no smoking, and no pets except guide dogs accompanying visitors who are blind or visually impaired
• No food or drinks, and no touting
• Do not place or erect any monument, commemorative tablet, inscription, receptacle for flowers, or other ornament

CCTV is in operation throughout the garden, and NEA explicitly reminds visitors that offering cash or gifts to staff is strictly prohibited -- any such demand should be reported immediately via the NEA hotline.

Weather Can Affect Your Visit

Because the garden is outdoors, heavy rain can make a visit less comfortable, even though the garden generally remains open. Checking the forecast and keeping some flexibility around the exact date is worth doing rather than fixing a single date months in advance.

Choosing Between Garden of Peace and Garden of Serenity

Both gardens operate under the same fee and process. The practical difference is location -- Garden of Peace at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, Garden of Serenity at Mandai North Crematorium -- so proximity to your cremation location or home is often the deciding factor. As the older and longer-established of the two, Garden of Peace also tends to be more familiar to funeral directors and families who've been through the process before.

Group Size and Accessibility

The garden is open to the public during operating hours, so there's no hard limit on how many family members can attend, though the lanes themselves are sized for a small gathering rather than a large group. Both entrances are accessible on foot from nearby bus stops, which is worth knowing if not everyone in the family drives.

What to avoid

Common Mistakes and Practical Advice

A few things trip up families more than the process itself:

• Arriving with unprocessed ashes -- fine-ash processing has to happen first, at a separate Ash Collection Centre, not at Garden of Peace itself.
• Assuming same-day booking will be available -- it's worth booking a few days ahead, especially for a weekend visit.
• Not deciding on entrance in advance -- knowing whether the North or South Gate is more convenient saves confusion on the day, particularly for family members travelling separately.
• Underestimating how permanent scattering is -- once ashes are scattered, they cannot be relocated or recovered, unlike a niche.

Beyond the logistics, many families find it helpful to plan a short ceremony -- a prayer, a reading, or simply a few words -- before arriving, since neither NEA staff nor the garden setting itself will prompt this; it's entirely left to the family to shape.

If any part of the process is unclear, NEA takes enquiries through the feedback form on the MyEnv mobile app or via the NEA website, and the IAS introductory videos are a useful way to preview the setting before your visit if this is your first time.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Final guidance

Singapore's First Scattering Garden

Garden of Peace has offered Singapore families a dignified, government-managed alternative to a columbarium niche since 2021, and remains one of the most straightforward ash management options once you know the process.

The practical details -- processing the ashes first, booking ahead, and choosing the entrance that suits your family -- are all that stand between deciding on this option and actually carrying it out.

Promisedland Casket has helped Christian, Catholic and Freethinker families across Singapore plan visits to Garden of Peace since 1989, and our Aftercare Specialist, Jennifer Soh, continues supporting families with this decision.