Garden of Serenity

Getting started

Garden of Serenity: Quick Overview

Garden of Serenity 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 at Mandai North Crematorium, and has been operating since August 2025.

Booking costs a fixed $320 -- the same fee as Garden of Peace -- and the garden is open daily from 9am to 5.30pm, except maintenance days. Only fine, processed ash can be scattered; bone fragments need to be processed at an Ash Collection Centre first.

Families often choose Garden of Serenity for its convenience if cremation took place at Mandai North Crematorium or the wider Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex, since the garden is reachable on foot from those facilities without needing to travel across the island to Choa Chu Kang.

As NEA's second inland ash scattering facility, Garden of Serenity was built specifically to add capacity as demand for inland scattering grew beyond what Garden of Peace alone could comfortably serve -- so booking availability here can sometimes be more flexible during peak periods.

Understanding the setting

What Is Garden of Serenity?

Garden of Serenity follows the same design philosophy NEA established with Garden of Peace -- an open garden setting rather than a clinical facility, intended to give families a serene, dignified environment for scattering ashes. Designated scattering lanes are spaced apart and separated by trees and hedges for privacy, with each lane lined by a bed of pebbles.

A landscaped ornamental pond runs alongside part of the boardwalk, bordered by a protective railing -- a distinctive feature of Garden of Serenity's layout that isn't present at Garden of Peace.

Because it opened more recently, Garden of Serenity benefits from lessons learned running Garden of Peace since 2021 -- the underlying process, fee and booking system are identical between the two, so families who've used Garden of Peace before will find nothing unfamiliar here.

As with Garden of Peace, there's no fixed marker or plaque left behind after scattering -- the ashes become part of the garden itself. This is a meaningful difference from a columbarium niche worth weighing carefully before booking, since scattering can't be undone.

NEA publishes an IAS brochure and short introductory videos, in both English and Chinese, that apply equally to Garden of Serenity and Garden of Peace -- worth watching beforehand if this is your family's first visit to either facility.

Where scattering takes place

The Four Ash Scattering Lanes

Garden of Serenity has four named scattering lanes -- Amaryllis, Bougainvillea, Chrysanthemum and Dahlia -- each marked at its entrance with its own corten-steel signpost. As at Garden of Peace, the names are purely aesthetic rather than tied to religion or any other significance; unlike Garden of Peace, the four lanes here are roughly similar in size rather than split between longer and smaller ones. Every lane has its own water tap and bench.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis is marked at its entrance by a rust-finish signpost bearing its name, reached along a curving timber boardwalk lined with stone benches.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea sits along the same boardwalk system, with its own signpost and a nearby rack for condolence flowers set into the greenery beside the path.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum's entrance is set slightly apart by hedging, with a watering can and flower rack positioned near the signpost -- visible evidence of families who've visited before.

Dahlia

Dahlia sits at a further point along the boardwalk, giving it a slightly more secluded feel than the lanes closer to the garden's entrance.

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 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

Entrance Near the Open Carpark

One entrance to Garden of Serenity is located near the open carpark at Mandai North Crematorium, making it the more convenient option for families arriving by car. The nearest bus stop is "Mandai Crematorium & Columbarium" (Stop ID 48149), for families travelling by public transport.

Entrance Opposite Service Hall 7

The second entrance is located opposite Service Hall 7 of Mandai North Crematorium, which is a more direct route for families coming straight from a service held at one of the crematorium's halls, without needing to walk around to the carpark side.

Booking Your Visit

Booking is done through NEA's ePortal or in person at the Mandai Crematorium 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 -- exactly the same requirements as Garden of Peace.

Choosing a Time of Day

Garden of Serenity is open 9am to 5.30pm daily except maintenance days. Because it's the newer of the two gardens, some families find it slightly less busy during peak periods than Garden of Peace, though this can vary.

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 Mandai Crematorium, Mandai North Crematorium, or Choa Chu Kang Crematorium, where fine ash is turned into powder and placed into a one-time-use canister provided by NEA. Since Mandai's centres operate daily, families cremating at Mandai and scattering at Garden of Serenity can often complete both steps without crossing the island.

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 Transfer Rooms at the Ash Collection Centre, or at the garden's prayer facility. 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, with trees and hedges providing separation from neighbouring lanes -- the same layout and process as Garden of Peace.

5. Watering the Ashes Into the Soil

This step is mandatory, not optional: families use a watering can, filled from the lane's water 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 at Garden of Serenity, NEA periodically closes it and transfers the ash soil to Garden of Peace -- a different physical location, unlike Garden of Peace's own lanes, which rest and reopen within the same garden. NEA describes this as facilitating continued scattering, or redevelopment of the garden. NEA rotates closures across both gardens so that scattering lanes always remain available somewhere -- families don't need to do anything for this to happen.

Worth knowing

Important Decisions and Considerations

Only Fine Ash Is Accepted

As at Garden of Peace, 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 here, and you'd need to reschedule after completing that step first.

There's No Individual Marker Afterward

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

On-Site Facilities

Each lane has its own water tap, used to fill a watering can for the mandatory percolation step, and a 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.

The On-Site Pond

Garden of Serenity has a landscaped pond running alongside part of the boardwalk, bordered by a protective railing -- a feature Garden of Peace doesn't have. NEA's posted rules specifically prohibit releasing ashes into the pond or releasing animals into it, and warn of deep water, so it's worth keeping this in mind if young children are part of the visiting family.

Garden Rules and Etiquette

Garden of Serenity 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
• Do not remove the pebbles from the scattering lanes
• No littering, no smoking, and no pets except guide dogs accompanying visitors who are blind or visually impaired
• No food or drinks, no plucking of flowers, and no touting
• No releasing of ashes into the pond, and no releasing of animals
• 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

NEA's posted notice specifically asks visitors not to enter the garden during stormy weather, for safety reasons, and provides a dedicated weather information line (tel 6542 7788) to check conditions before heading down. Because the garden is outdoors, even light rain can make a visit less comfortable, so 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 Serenity and Garden of Peace

Both gardens operate under the same fee and process. The practical difference is location -- Garden of Serenity at Mandai North Crematorium, Garden of Peace at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery -- so proximity to where cremation took place, or to your home, is often the deciding factor rather than any difference in the experience itself.

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. Both entrances are accessible on foot, and the carpark-side entrance is the more practical choice for families bringing elderly relatives who may need to park close by.

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 Serenity itself.
• Assuming same-day booking will be available -- it's worth booking a few days ahead, especially for a weekend visit.
• Confusing the two entrances -- deciding in advance whether the carpark-side or Service Hall 7 entrance 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.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Final guidance

Singapore's Newest Scattering Garden

Garden of Serenity extended the option Garden of Peace introduced in 2021, giving families at Mandai a scattering option close to where cremation often takes place, without needing to travel to Choa Chu Kang.

The practical details -- processing the ashes first, booking ahead, and choosing the entrance that suits your family -- are the same as at Garden of Peace, and 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 ash scattering visits since 1989, and our Aftercare Specialist, Jennifer Soh, continues supporting families with this decision at both gardens.