By
Janey Schueller
Photos
by Fran Wilson
Previously
known as ‘tiger balm gardens’, Haw Par Villa was definitely a colourful, must-see, stop on the CAS out
& about tour map this year. It is like no other place in the world (that I
have seen) and reportedly consists of over 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas that depict Chinese legends and folklore.
Haw
Par Villa was later renamed after its former owners, the Aw brothers – Boon Haw
and Boon Par, who made a fortune in the early
1900s selling Tiger Balm, a cure-all paste created by their father. Tiger symbolism is scattered throughout the
park and although the historical mansion is no more, the tiger-themed car is
displayed for all to admire.
Based
on Chinese legends and values, this unique theme park has statues of all shapes
and sizes that depict famous legends and feature characters like Fu Lu Shou, Confucius and the Laughing Buddha.
There
was less laughter in the infamous Ten Courts of
Hell exhibit – which depicts very graphic scenes of punishment and reincarnation popular to Buddhist belief, but
we found it educational nonetheless and we will continue to be law-abiding
citizens as
a result!
a result!
Without
a doubt, we were all fascinated by stories and images of ancient
times at Har Par Villa and the colourful
tales that we conjured up while touring the unique park. Special thanks to Lynda Sellars for
coordinating the tour with me, Fran Wilson for her vivid photography and the
Wilson kids for joining the tour and entertaining
us with their own interpretation and stories.
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