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Singapore Haw Par Villa Theme Park
Haw Par Villa is a Chinese Mythological theme park in Singapore and contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant tableaux centered around Chinese folklore, legends, history and Confucian ideology. The statues and sets immortalise moral values and Chinese cultural heritage.
Originally called ‘Tiger Balm Gardens’, it was constructed in 1937 by brothers Aw BoonHaw and Aw Boon Par, who are developers of Tiger Balm. Later on it was sold to the Singapore Tourism Board and renamed as Haw Par Villa. A must see exhibit is the Ten Courts of Hell that features the ten steps of judgement before reincarnation.
Check out some of the exhibits in the Haw Par Villa with 14 more pics after the jump.
Source: Offbeat Earth
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Good times - Gigposters.com said
August 4, 2008 @ 7:26 am
[...] I apologize if this has already been posted. But this looks like a pretty fun theme park. Singapore Haw Par Villa Theme Park __________________ Giclee, motherfucker. Look it up. Fuck, I hate this site sometimes. -ENM [...]
jay said
November 8, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
i went there in 1994, there was a flume ride that was almost as gory as “the ten courts of hell” which is , in my opinion the most bizarre ride i’ve ever been on.. the whole place just really was something.. sad to hear that it has deteriorated some..
Chris said
January 30, 2010 @ 11:45 pm
Bizarre, creepy, and just a little bit off. Chinese theme parks are so often created in this style. I’ve been to a few outside Shanghai that just had me shaking my head in wonderment.
Ex Haw Par Employee said
February 20, 2010 @ 1:29 pm
I worked there in one of the retail outlets one summer in 1991. The entire park had speakers every 10 meters or so piping out the exact same CD of Chinese Classical music on loop, 24 hours a day. It nearly drove me insane. To this day I can’t hear an Erhu without shivering a little bit (Shifts were 8am to 6pm).
Kit Raj said
June 26, 2010 @ 12:30 am
I went to Haw Par Villa in 1991, I loved every minute of it, as I grew up listening to all the Chinese Mythical tales and the visual statues and all were amazing, the time and effort it would have taken to paint and restore it’s place.
I have heard of the sad news of it’s deterioration. I would have to try and visit again before they close it down altogeher. I think it is what make Singapore Singapore, not the pretentious modern country it’s trying to be but it’s beautiful Oriental heritage that they try so much to shun. From neglecting the intricacies in Chinese culture to it’s beautiful history with Malaya.
I now live in London and sadly miss the beautiful Singapore than I once knew before.
Jesse Dong said
August 13, 2010 @ 4:14 pm
I have been Haw Par Villa and worked there for one month in 1991.
I got great experience in my life in the park.
The attractions, food, music, actors and sttufs of the park was just so nice…
Nearly 20 years passed.
I don’t know why today it turned this like.
It’s alfull!!!
It’s sad…
Ling said
March 8, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
There is also a har par villa in Hong kong, why do you think that the har par villa is more well-known in Hongkong? Can you give me some suggestions to how to improve it? or the reason why har par villa is forgotten by the chinese in singapore today. help, cuz it’s my sch project. Thanks!
Vivian said
April 30, 2011 @ 2:55 pm
Ten courts of Hell is a little bit scary, but not very interesting. I can only find the sculptures of punishment and they are not quite vivid…