| Places of Interest |
Just a 20 minute ride from the bustling crowds of Orchard Road, you will lunge into the grounds of Haw Par Villa.
HISTORY
The Aw brothers, Aw Boon Haw (Tiger) and Aw Boon Par (Leopard) became famous and world famous, for their ointment called Tiger Balm (this balm is NOT made of tigers). The ointment is still made it in Singapore and available in stores across the island.
Being so rich, they originally built seven pagoda-like structures on the grounds and was originally called Tiger Balm Gardens.
The grounds were furnished with statues depicting ancient mythological creatures and stories from Ancient China, many of which still stand on the now named, Haw Par Villa.
However, a lot has changed since the days of the Aw brothers. Previously, The Tiger Balm Gardens was opened to the public for free and many families took their picnics there. Many snake-charmers were found along the road up the small hill to the gardens, playing their flutes to draw their cobras (yes, COBRAS!!!) from their cane baskets.
Since the turn of the economic recession in 1985, the gardens grounds were reclaimed and are now opened to the public for a hefty fee. Snake charmers no longer line the small road and the grounds now have attendents and guards.
TODAY
Haw Par Villa also holds an exhibition of the 10 courts of Hell, as depicted by Chinese mythology. According to Chinese belief, hell hath not one court but ten.
Each court is ruled by a 'yama' or a king, who dishes out different punishments befitting the sins committed in one's life. The concept 'One reaps what one sows' is the basis of the legend of the Ten Courts of Hell. However, the influence of Confucianism is so great that punishments for failing to comply, such as disrespect for the written word, lack of filial piety or inattention in class are often equal to, or more terrifying than that for murder.
It is believed when one first dies, 2 guardians from Hades will come to take your soul to Hades. One has the head of a horse and the other of an ox. These are the guardians of Hell....Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
A must-see exhibit is the Ten Courts of Hell, featuring the ten steps of judgement before reincarnation. Literal and leaving nothing to the imagination, the statues and sets immortalise moral values and Chinese cultural heritage for generations to come.
SIN
PUNISHMENT
Robbery & inflicting physical pain
Thrown into a volcano pit or onto blocks of ice or drowned in
pools of blood
Ingratitude
Tied to a red hot copper pillar and grilled
Dodging taxes & business fraud
Body ground between 2 large stones
Money lending
Thrown onto a hill of knives
Pornography
Body sawn into half or thrown onto a tree of knives
Rumour-mongering
Tongue pulled out or thrown into boiling oil
Causing family discord
Body dismembered & intestines pulled out
Robbery & rape
Limbs & head chopped off
Established in 1937 as one of the 3 private residences of the Aw brothers and taking 2 years to build the original site, this historic quintessential house of Chinese folklore is now one of the most scenic sites in Singapore. It was first built by the entrepreneurial and charismatic Aw Boon Haw (left) for his brother Boon Par. Described by various visitors as "fascinating, delightful, bizarre and entertaining", Haw Par Villa is like no other place in the world.
Now, many shows are conducted in Haw Par Villa, all of them carrying the same Chinese mythology theme. Plays, acrobatic displays and puppet shows all depict Chinese stories, such as the battles between gods and spirits, and how mischievous demons and nymphs wreak havoc on mortals lives. Or come take a gentle stroll through the park and view each statue, for every statue has a story behind it.
Gambling or Prostitution
Disrespect
Drug addiction & trafficking
Lack of filial piety
Plotting against others for their property
Cheating & swearing
Wasting food & misuse of books
Rapists & instigating suicide
Cheating in examinations
Harming others
Neglect of old & young
Crushed under boulders
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Images and content © to Haw Par Villa
Official website: None
| Address | : | 262 Pasir Panjang Roa
Singapore 118628 |
| Tel | : | +65 6872 2780 (Events and Programmes) |
| Fax | : | +65 6872 2694 |
| : | orientmgt@pacific.net.sg | |
| Opening hours | : | 9.00 am - 7.00 pm (daily) |
| Admission | : | Free |
| Getting there | : | SBS bus 200 from Buona Vista MRT Station (EW21)
SBS bus 10, 30, SMRT Bus 188 from World Trade Centre SBS bus 143 from Orchard Road SBS bus 51 from Chinatown |
| More information | : | Uniquely Singapore |