Haw Par Villa

Haw Par Villa (Chinese: 虎豹別墅; pinyin: Hǔ Bào Biéshù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hó͘ pà pia̍t-sú) is a theme park located along Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore.

The site, which is in front of a small hill and faces the Singapore Strait, was deemed suitable based on considerations of feng shui,[2] and was purchased in 1935.

[2] Many Singaporean adults, in a 1995 survey, reported memories of visiting the park as a child and learning about Chinese folk history and morality.

[8] In 1988, Singapore Tourism Board took charge of the Tiger Balm Gardens and renamed it "Haw Par Villa Dragon World".

It was originally to be reopened on 31 March 2021 but was delayed due to park operator, Journeys, needing more time to "further enhance its offerings".

[13] Other major attractions include dioramas of scenes from Journey to the West, Fengshen Bang, The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, Legend of the White Snake, Romance of the Three Kingdoms; statues of mythological figures such as the Laughing Buddha and Guanyin, and historical personages such as Jiang Ziya, Su Wu and Lin Zexu; the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and others.

It covers perspectives and insights on death and the afterlife across various religions, cultures, and civilisations – the result of humanity's quest over 300,000 years to seek answers to the big questions in life, questions such as “Where did we come from?” “What happens to us when we die?” and “What is the purpose of our existence?” In August 2023, Hell's Museum[15] and Haw Par Villa[16] was awarded Tripadvisor's Travellers’ Choice Winner.

In a 2014 study which reviewed 25 tourist guidebooks on Singapore, it was found that only the authors of one book chose to cover the park in detail.

The study's authors also corroborated online travel reviews that some of the statues were in disrepair, and the park is ill-posed to compete with Singapore's newer tourist attractions.

Haw Par Villa is, the authors note, "a treasured past, although one in danger of fading away with newer generations of tourists".

Memorial dedicated to the Aw brothers' parents.
Haw Par Villa Ten Courts of Hell
Interior of the Ten Courts of Hell
Entrance to the "Ten Courts of Hell" attraction at Haw Par Villa. The Ox-Headed (right) and Horse-Faced (left) Hell Guards stand guard at the entrance .
Haw Par Villa Paifang
Chinese-style Paifang after main entrance.