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Built in 1937 by the entrepreneurial and charismatic Aw Boon Haw for his brother Boon Par, Haw Par Villa is the quintessential house of Chinese folklore. Described by various visitors as "fascinating, delightful, bizarre and entertaining", Haw Par Villa is like no other place in the world.
Twenty-five clusters of original statues and figurines replicate Chinese mythology characters like the Laughing Buddha and the Fu Lu Shou (Taoist deities). 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.
Haw Par Villa was originally known as Tiger Balm Gardens. It contains about 1000 statues and 150 dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology and legend. Among the scenes include the famous and ghastly depiction of the Ten Courts of Hell, where creative forms of punishment are meted out on unfortunate sinners in graphic detail. It serves to incalcate moral values. Sharing space with these statues include an out-of-place gorilla statue, Thai dancers, sumo wrestlers, ostrich, and other expected denizens.
Within the premises of Haw Par Villa is the Jade House. It houses the collection of jade of the Aw Family. There is a token charge for visiting the Jade House.
Video of Haw Par Villa
Visiting hours:
9.00 am - 7.00 pm (daily)
Admission : Free
Approximate Touring Time :2 - 3 hours
Address :
262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Pulau Bukom, Singapore
Tel
(65) 6872 2780 (Events and Programmes) or 6872 2003 (Business Development)
Getting There
Take SBS Transit bus 200 from Buona Vista MRT Station (EW21), SBS Transit bus 10, 30, SMRT Bus 188 from Harbour Front Centre, SBS Transit bus 143 from Orchard Road, SBS Transit bus 51 from Chinatown or SBS Transit bus 175 from Clementi MRT Stn/Temporary Bus Interchange.
For the complete list of Family oriented places you can visit in Singapore, click here!