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F O U N D E R S
Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, brothers who founded Haw Par Villa.
H O W
A hillside property located at Pasir Panjang Road was purchased by Boon Haw in 1935. He spent an astounding US$1.95 million to construct ‘Tiger Balm Gardens’ for his brother, Boon Par. Later on, ‘Tiger Balm Gardens’ was renamed ‘Haw Par Villa’, as a way to honour the brothers.
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Ho Kwong Yew, who was one of the leading architects in Singapore then, was given the task of building the villa at the highest point of the hill, for a panoramic view of the sea, by Boon Haw.
There was a grand central hall, two bedrooms, and three other separate rooms used for various activities such as drawing, dressing and dining.
A central dome with six other encircling domes can be found in the villa. ‘Tiger Balm Gardens’ was renowned for being one of the magnificent mansions built in Singapore back in those days.
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
The grounds were open to admission. During World War II, the pair had left for other countries. The house was used as a vantage point by the Japanese.
After World War II had ended, the park was reopened. The reopening of the park had brought crowds of visitors in the 1970s to 1980s, and was a popular destination for school excursions and day tours.
International Theme Parks Pte Ltd had invested a large sum of $30 million in 1986 to refurbish the theme park, infusing both Western technology with Eastern mythology in hopes of reinventing an ‘oriental Disneyland’.
The Singapore Tourism Board took over the management of the Tiger Balm Gardens, renaming it “Haw Par Villa Dragon World”. The sculptures and figures were restored. Plays and traditional shows were held to depict famous Chinese legends.
Many visitors still visit the park up till this day to learn more about the Chinese culture.
W H Y
Haw Par Villa was constructed for people to learn about Chinese morality and proper conduct.
The founders had made the illustrations macabre to allow people to make it memorable. Boon Haw also used it to remind Boon Par of his Chinese culture and the importance of family.
The circular motif in the park symbolises harmony and family.
Haw Par in the park's name is based on the Aw brothers' names — Haw and Par, which means "tiger" and "leopard" respectively.
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
W H A T
Haw Par Villa contains an astounding number of 1000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting traditional Chinese legends, folklore and mythologies.
Among all of these beautifully sculpted portrayals of Chinese characters, are the well-known teachings of Confucius.
Haw Par Villa is widely renown for its macabre portrayals of the Chinese “Ten Stages of Hell”, which is a journey one’s soul is said to travel through after death, to be judged and atoned for the wrongs they have committed in their life.
TEN STAGES OF HELL
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
Haw Par Villa is somewhere locals will go to relieve their childhood memories as it features unique statues of Chinese mythological characters where parents used to bring their children to Haw Par Villa to teach them about the Chinese ways of teaching.
However, this attraction is not limited to just the Chinese community as tourists of all ethnicities visit Haw Par Villa to know more about the traditional Chinese cultures.
Tourists are also exposed to a whole new experience of the Chinese myths and history when they visit Haw Par Villa.