Asia

[Visited: December 2023]

Not really knowing what to expect, we get off at Haw Par Villa MRT station, on the Circle Line of the extensive Singapore subway system. We are on our way to Haw Par Villa, also widely known as Tiger Balm Garden. We see several tigers sculpted above us, as well as a Buddha, and we walk up the lane to enter through a decorative gate. On the way, through the many signboards, we learn about the history of this quirky place. The founders of Tiger Balm, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, were born in Myanmar, and moved to Singapore in the 1920s. They built a villa here in 1937, and subsequently, the park itself was developed. Par (leopard) died during World War II, and Haw (tiger) continued to work on the garden. The villa had been damaged during the war and was destroyed later. It would become a theme park and for years, drew more than a million visitors a year.
On the sides of the road, we see several statues, but this turns out to be only the appetizer. We take a turn to the right, and see two sumo wrestlers in a typical pose. Then, we see warriors, ladies in traditional clothes, animals, Buddhas, the Statue of Liberty, and wise men. We reach a pond with a pagoda with a Buddha statue inside on an islet, and next to it a four-storey pagoda with a Buddha on top. Colourful bridges lead to both islets. Behind it, we walk up stairs, and come to enormous diorama depicting the 16th century novel Journey to the West, very likely written by Chinese author Wu Cheng'en. It describes the journey of famous Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang to Central Asia and India in search of Buddhist sutras. It is a legendary tale of endurance, adventure, but also has an educative function. Several scenes of the book are depicted here: Tripitaka (the fictitious name of the monk) being seduced by spider spirits who transform into beautiful women, the fate of his companions Sandy and Pigsy, and the Monkey God who saves them all. The diorama is very elaborate, colourful, and well done.
From here, it is a small walk up to the Virtues and Vices section. This is a more mundane representation of values to strive after. Work hard, and get rewarded. Don't be lazy, don't be vain. Be smart. The importance of friendship and loyalty. Spend money wisely, be virtuous, don't waste resources on distractions. All depicted in scenes of everyday life. We take our time to marvel at the people sculpted in every scene, the objects that are clearly from the 1950s. In the background, throughout the gardens, we hear music playing from the same era. We see a small pond with a statue of a woman on a lotus flower, we see dioramas depicting historic battles, a Chinese lady in a traditional dress under an umbrella. In total, there are more than a thousand statues in Haw Par Villa. We came without expecting much, and walk away fully satisfied with the rich display of Chinese traditions, religion, and world views when we walk to the bus stop to take one of the double deckers towards Chinatown.

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Har Par Villa > Singapore > Asia

[Visited: December 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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