Hell’s Bells! Curious about eclectic Haw Par Villa(虎豹別墅) filled with vivid statues? Ever wonder about the afterlife and how different religions and cultures view death? Well, check out my list of 10 things you probably didn’t know and why you need to visit this eccentric Asian Cultural park Haw Par Villa and the new addition Hell’s museum.
Be warned– graphic, gruesome scenes at point 9 due to the nature of the subject- 10 courts of Hell.
This article gives a quick introduction to the one of a kind Hell’s museum that looks at death, the afterlife and funeral practices worldwide.
In my nine years living in Singapore, I have never been to Haw Par Villa; why not? I have no idea. I had only heard stories from my friends, who reminisced about being brought here when they were younger. It was about time I discovered for myself what it was all about, and with the opening of the new Hells museum, I was intrigued. Since then I have visited four time already.
This article will slowly introduce you to the park, leaving the more ‘terrifying’ 10 Courts of Hell till the end.
Tiger balm Gardens
So the story commences in 1932 when Myanmar-born businessman Aw Boon Haw (Tiger) built the park for his brother Aw Boon Par (Leopard). He came across the location when his car broke down and wandered around while his chauffeur was busy preparing it. He then purchased the property in Pasir Panjang, situated high on a hill facing the ocean. The garden was once known as Tiger balm Gardens after Tiger Balm.
Tiger Balm
The Brothers’ father, Aw Chu Kin, a herbalist, invented the heat rub medical ointment and the brothers further developed and marketed Tiger Balm. Oh, I love Tiger Balm.
The brothers
Aw Boon Par (Leopard) was educated in western medicine and as an introvert, preferred to refine and research their famous ointment. On the other hand, Aw Boon Haw (Tiger) was a successful entrepreneur who had a passion for Chinese culture and was an absolute marketing genius.
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Tiger car
The famous tiger car on display belonged to Aw Boon Haw, and it was part of his brilliant marketing campaign to advertise their Tiger Balm products in the 1930s. It is a customised 1925 Buick, with a tiger head on the front, red bulbs for eyes, orange and black stripes, and a horn that sounded like a tiger roar. The car’s number plate is an auspicious number in Chinese culture. 8989 (The car is currently not on display).
By the way, he had a few different Tiger cars through the years.
The Villa
The Art Deco-inspired six-room mansion with opulent domes sat atop the hill, overlooking the ocean. It was completed in 1937, but not long after Singapore was occupied during WWII, and the brothers had to flee. Boon Par fled to Burma but died shortly after in 1944.
When Boon Haw returned, he rebuilt the park, except the villa, which he then demolished. All that is currently left of the original villa is the layout at the highest point of Haw Par Villa.
Haw Par Villa, Folklore & Mythology Asian culture Park
After completing the garden, it was opened to the public, showcasing Boon Haw’s deep appreciation/passion for Chinese mythology, folklore, history, and depicting Chinese literature like Madame White Snake. The park contains over 1000 statues and 150 dioramas. Boon Haw had skilled artisans create the statues and kept an eye on proceedings. Many of the dioramas have info-boards telling the story. But I have to confess, some of the statues are a bit bizarre and I am still not sure what they are depicting as they do not have info-boards (like the tortoise, deer and rabbit scene below).
* Boon Haw died ten years after his brother in Honolulu on return from America.
Why is there a Statue of Liberty?
You are forgiven if slightly confused; you might ask why there is a Statue of Liberty in an Asian culture park filled with Chinese mythology? Well, Boon Par’s son Aw Cheng Chye was passionate about travelling, and he included various more dioramas like the Sumo wrestlers and the Thai dancer in international sections.
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Hell’s museum
Now for the new addition, Hell’s museum is one of a kind museum, exploring a topic that is not often spoken about. It shows comparatively the perspectives and beliefs from across the world and encourages thoughts about death and the afterlife.
One of the ten stations showcases how different religions and cultures commemorate the dead and the funeral rites. With displays of a Traditional Chinese void deck funeral, 7th Lunar Month Altar and a Day of the Dead Altar next to each other.
Part of the museum wall is filled with prayers from different beliefs for the dearly departed. The museum also shows how land-scarce Singapore manages death and the history of graves to Columbarium with niches.
Expect to see a coffin under a clear flooring and a Traditional Chinese graveyard explaining the layout of the gravestone. I found this helpful as I visited Bukit Brown a few times and now had better insight.
10 Courts of hell
Warning! Here comes the more horrifying, 10 Courts of Hell, depicting vivid gruesome scenes of people being tortured, pierced on a tree, burnt in fire and so on and so on. I know my face was constantly twitching, eek, ouch, ooh. It can make anyone grow worrisome about what they have done wrong. These meticulously detailed dioramas are based on Buddhist and Taoist teachings of the punishment that awaits wrongdoers in the afterlife. Bewarned it is grim and dreadful.
And this is were I stop with photos from The 10 courts of Hell. A bit too gruesome for my liking to share here, sorry. If you dare, you see for yourself, but as I said be warned, not for sensitive viewers. So, I rather leave you with the following work that I found on the outer wall.
Free
Okay, so you lasted so far. Yeah! Now, Haw Par Villa is free, but to go to Hell’s museum and the now aircon 10 Courts of Hell, you will need to fork over $18 for adults and $10 for children. For younger than nine years, they do not recommend visiting due to the nature of the subject and being rather gruesome.
Logistics for your visit
Location: Situated at 262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628, nearest 1 minute away MRT is Haw Par Villa CC25
Opening hours: Haw Par Villa – 9 am – 10 pm, Hell’s museum – 10 am – 6 pm, the museum is close on Monday.
Food: The Sixth Milestone for light snacks and drinks – Wednesday – Friday 10 am – 5pm & weekends 11 am – 6pm.
Cost: The park is free, but the Museum is $18 per adult and $10 for children. They do not recommended the museum for ages 9 and younger.
Buy your tickets online, here.
Final words
Will I revisit the museum? Maybe not soon; the price is a bit steep for me to repeat*. Although the name did put me off initially, and I was unsure what to expect. I can say now, after keeping an open mind and visiting, I found this museum very insightful. The $18 was worth it to understand better how the world sees and deals with death.
Haw Par Villa will see me again, I have just returned from my fourth visit, and I swear every time I see something new.
Have you been? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down at the bottom!
*Also, the fees help support the rest of the park, which is still free to access.
Opinions express here are my own.
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