Haw Par Villa - Tiger Balm Gardens (by kerouac2)
Mar 23, 2017 5:40:46 GMT
Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2017 5:40:46 GMT
Haw Par Villa is an amazing place built in 1937 by the creators of Tiger Balm, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par (Haw means tiger and Par means leopard.), who settled in Singapore from Burma to create their medical empire. It is full of statues and dioramas depicting Chinese legends, moral tales and mythology. It was used by generations of parents to teach their children the awful things that might happen to them if they misbehaved. When a Singaporean friend took me there for the first time, he said when he was little "this place scared the shit out of me."
As you can imagine, times have changed since 1937 and the atmosphere is delightfully hokey. Most Singaporeans are a little embarrassed by this place and would never recommend a visit by sophisticated 21st century tourists, but it remains a guilty pleasure, like watching porn in the church car park after having sent your family inside to attend services.
There are plaques explaining most of the statues and scenes in Chinese and English, but I only photographed a few of them because it is more fun inventing your own story to explain the incredible things that are happening.
As you can imagine, times have changed since 1937 and the atmosphere is delightfully hokey. Most Singaporeans are a little embarrassed by this place and would never recommend a visit by sophisticated 21st century tourists, but it remains a guilty pleasure, like watching porn in the church car park after having sent your family inside to attend services.
There are plaques explaining most of the statues and scenes in Chinese and English, but I only photographed a few of them because it is more fun inventing your own story to explain the incredible things that are happening.
Admission is free. Let's go in. The outer wall already gives you an idea of what is to follow.
s19.postimg.cc/9lxsomn0z/P1030052.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/ssazrt3ir/P1030053.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/m34gbsi6r/P1030054.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/fdxwvrwur/P1030055.jpg
And we enter the gate...
s19.postimg.cc/kdvd3q2hf/P1030056.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/pdstbo843/P1030057.jpg
Most of the stuff is vintage but other things have been added and there is no rhyme nor reason to a lot of the added statues othen than "what might amuse children."
s19.postimg.cc/azlcd3qc3/P1030058.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/jj4qauyoj/P1030059.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/xe30tbt3n/P1030060.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/4pq2q3qxf/P1030061.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/4e8mdcahf/P1030062.jpg
Here is the product that made the brothers' fortune. The name of the gardens has flip flopped back and forth between Haw Par Villa and Tiger Balm Gardens over the years.
s19.postimg.cc/x55g3egb7/P1030063.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/h86o6onwz/P1030064.jpg
a lesser known Chinese goddess
s19.postimg.cc/opfvlwdg3/P1030065.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/9lxsomn0z/P1030052.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/ssazrt3ir/P1030053.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/m34gbsi6r/P1030054.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/fdxwvrwur/P1030055.jpg
And we enter the gate...
s19.postimg.cc/kdvd3q2hf/P1030056.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/pdstbo843/P1030057.jpg
Most of the stuff is vintage but other things have been added and there is no rhyme nor reason to a lot of the added statues othen than "what might amuse children."
s19.postimg.cc/azlcd3qc3/P1030058.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/jj4qauyoj/P1030059.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/xe30tbt3n/P1030060.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/4pq2q3qxf/P1030061.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/4e8mdcahf/P1030062.jpg
Here is the product that made the brothers' fortune. The name of the gardens has flip flopped back and forth between Haw Par Villa and Tiger Balm Gardens over the years.
s19.postimg.cc/x55g3egb7/P1030063.jpg
s19.postimg.cc/h86o6onwz/P1030064.jpg
a lesser known Chinese goddess
s19.postimg.cc/opfvlwdg3/P1030065.jpg