S. Gardon, China's first greenhouse garden complex jointly developed by the Jinan Start-up Area in east China's Shandong Province and Singapore's Keppel Group, has emerged as a popular tourist attraction. Since opening last October, it has received more than 1.17 million visitors.
S. Gardon is located in the Queshan eco-cultural zone of the Jinan Start-up Area, which has prioritized ecological conservation in recent years as it develops into a green, smart and livable new urban area. The project has integrated Singapore's advanced planning philosophy and management practices with distinctive Chinese and Singaporean cultural resources.
Inside the garden, Shandong's first Merlion statue built with official authorization from Singapore, which made Jinan the eighth city outside Singapore to use the Merlion image, has become a popular spot. A 14-meter-high indoor waterfall stands alongside the statue, embodying the integration of Yellow River culture and Nanyang culture.
Over the past year, the garden has hosted events including a Sino-Singapore food market and a campaign inviting Singaporean youth to visit the Jinan Start-up Area. Promoted via a multilingual communication network covering more than 10 countries and regions, these activities have garnered more than 8.7 million overseas impressions.
Beyond cultural exchange, cooperation between the Jinan Start-up Area and Singapore has expanded into a wide range of fields.
In science and technology, the Sino-Singapore green technology research institute was inaugurated in July 2024. Jointly established by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, Shandong University and the administrative committee of Jinan Start-up Area, it is China's second Sino-Singapore cooperative research institution.
In elderly care, an inclusive project integrating medical and elderly care services operated by Keppel Group's team was put into use in the Jinan Start-up Area in 2025 to pilot innovative smart senior care models.
In business services, the Shandong (Singapore) enterprise service center provides end-to-end support for Singaporean companies investing in the province, ranging from business registration and investment consultation to policy interpretation.
From culture and technology to elderly care and business services, a number of Sino-Singapore cooperation projects are taking root in this new urban area. (Edited by Su Dan with Xinhua Silk Road, silviasu07@163.com)
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