A welcoming tropical sanctuary right in the heart of Terminal 3 Changi Airport officially launched its new facility - the Butterfly Garden - in the heart of Terminal 3’s Departure/Transit Mall today. The launch ceremony was graced by Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, who was also brought on a tour of the new facility. The 330 square metre garden, designed as a tropical nature retreat, is home to more than 1,000 free roaming butterflies. One of the fascinating aspects of this garden is the opportunity for passengers to observe the life cycle of butterflies at close range.

Mrs Lim said, "The Butterfly Garden is a unique attraction designed to complement Terminal 3’s nature theme and Singapore’s tropical garden image. Passengers will have a tranquil haven offering a respite from the stresses of travelling. This new facility is part of CAAS’ on-going efforts to review and introduce novel or improved facilities to enhance the ‘Changi Experience’ for our passengers."

The two-storey open-air and non-smoking garden is fully enclosed by a curvilinear shaped roof in stainless steel mesh and glass panels. They serve to keep the butterflies in, maintain exchange of wind and natural air which is vital to the survival of butterflies and maximise the butterflies’ flight activity. The timber walkway allows visitors to experience the garden while the incorporated waterfall feature helps keep the garden cool.

A variety of 47 butterfly species that are native to Singapore and Malaysia were specially selected for the Butterfly Garden. These farm-bred butterflies are friendly and receptive to human presence. The garden is kept as close to the butterflies’ natural habitat as possible.

Apart from the aesthetics and relaxing aspects of the garden, there are features that showcase these winged beauties’ complete life cycle at designated areas around the garden. They include informative panels of fascinating facts about butterflies at the education corners, and feeding corners where butterflies can be observed at a close range. Visitors can also view caterpillars feeding at the breeding corner, and take a peek at the Emergence Enclosure, where adult butterflies emerge from their pupae.