• Covering an area of about 9 hectares, Yunnan Garden is located in front of the Chinese Heritage Centre and Nanyang Lake. The garden consists of Chinese pavilions, rockery and greenery, and is one of Nanyang Technological University’s landmarks.
• In 1916, rubber magnate Lim Nee Soon acquired a hilly piece of land in Jurong and built Yunnan Garden, mainly to commemorate the success of the National Protection War against Yuan Shikai’s attempt to restore the monarchy in China. This movement emerged after Yunnan declared its independence against Yuan Shikai’s proclamation of the Empire of China. Lim Nee Soon was the military movement’s fundraiser in Nanyang (literally, “South Seas”). After the success of the movement, Lim Nee Soon named the place Yunnan Garden in commemoration.
• In the 1950s, Yunnan Garden was acquired by Hokkien Huay Kuan. In support of the establishment of Nanyang University, Tan Lark Sye, the association’s chairman, donated Yunnan Garden to be part of the new university’s campus.
• A major renovation of Yunnan Garden was completed in 2020. The garden underwent several enhancements, such as the addition of a 6-metre-high artificial waterfall, the construction of a themed garden, and the installation of a water purification system. The garden’s original historical and cultural elements – including the monument commemorating the founding of Nanyang University, the Nanyang Arch, seven pavilions, and the university motto “自强不息, 力求上进” (“To thrive in adversity, to strive and improve oneself constantly”) inscribed on the grass slope – were all preserved.

After more than a year of renovation, Yunnan Garden at Nanyang Technological University was officially reopened on 13 February. (Lianhe Zaobao, 10/3/2020)