Haw Par Villa is a world apart in cosmopolitan Singapore. This is one of the most bizarre theme park ever, very different from Sentosa (Universal Studio, beach, golf, restaurants …), based on Chinese folklore and mythology.
Entrance of the park
Many legends, mythological stories or illustrations related to Confucianism are represented there as a place to learn traditional Chinese values. The park was created in 1937 by brothers Aw Boon, creators of the famous analgesic ointments ‘Tiger Balm’.
I do not know much about Chinese mythology, but thanks to this park I can tell you it is imaged, bizarre and disturbing: a crab with a woman head, rats healers, mythical animals, scenes not common in everyday life (an old sucking the breast of a woman) and especially the 10 courts of hell, sculptures showing the punishment reserved for bad people.
The crab woman
Let’s have a look at the 10 courts of hell:
People burried alive
Chamber of Ice – Children who abuse their parents were sent to be frozen
Chamber of Grinding – Misers who give nothing to others are reduced to powder in the chamber
Mountain of Knives – Merchants win more than what they deserve by working honestly are doomed to climb a mountain with sharp knives
Drug addicts and grave robbers are burned on a burning pillar
Food wasters are saw into two pieces
Once we got out of hell, the stories represented by the sculptures outside seem much kinder.
Rat Doctors and other animals
The tale of madam white snake
Monkey’s god flower fruit kingdom
A tale of chivalry
The Tiger-car !
I wish you a happy visit. The park is accessible from the station ‘Haw Par Villa’ on the circle line.