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A Tour of Haw Par Villa in Singapore

Home » South East Asia » Singapore

Updated: November 15, 2020 by The Planet D

A Tour of Haw Par Villa in  Singapore

When visiting Singapore, one of the most interesting places to stop in at is Haw Par Villa.

We didn’t even know that this cultural park existed before we arrived, but our friend Gilbert who is a resident of Singapore took us on a great tour to the village on a hill that is located Pasir Panjang.

He used to frequent the village as a child and it was fun to see him walk through the Ten Courts of Hell while reliving the stories he was told about Chinese mythology.

All About Haw Par Villa

haw par villa sculptures

You may have heard of Tiger Balm? Well, Haw Par is the owner of the Tiger Balm Brand, and it was this company that built Haw Par village.

Haw Par Villa stands on8.5 hectares of land. It was built by Aw Boon Haw in 1937. He was a millionaire philanthropist from Myanmar who fled the country and built his fortune.

The park was named after his brother Aw Boon Par and himself Aw Boon Haw.

He gifted Singapore the park and originally Haw Par Village was called Tiger Balm Village.

It is a pretty fascinating place and we were shocked to see that we were one of the very few visiting the village that day. 

Chinese Mythology haw par villa singapore
Chinese Mythology

A tour takes you through more than 1000 statues and models depicting scenes of torture and judgement.

We got a kick out of thinking that this was a popular spot for parents to bring kids when Gilbert was growing up. It would have given us nightmares for sure!

Shocking Displays at haw par singapore
Shocking Displays

We didn’t know the first thing about Chinese Mythology, so it was amazing to have Gilbert explain each exhibit to us.

Tours are provided by the park, and we highly recommend hiring a guide to understand what you are seeing.

You can book a Haw Par Twilight Walking Tour to learn about Haw Par Village and the Haw Family memorials and monuments.

This is creepy enough in the day, a night tour is a must!

You see, Haw Par is an attraction that consists of several different scenes of statues depicting Chinese Mythology, legendendary stories and well-known Chinese characters.

As westerners, we hadn’t heard of Madame White Snake or the stories of the Eight Immortals. But they are well-known in Chinese culture.

The Ten Courts of Hell.

Haw Par Villa masks look real

The most interesting and shocking exhibit at Haw Par Villa is the 10 Courts of Hell.

It tells the story of the ten steps of judgement before reincarnation.

According to Chinese legend, after death, people must pass through 10 courts of judgment before their admission into heaven.  

Haw Par Villa masks

It is surprising to see that children visit this exhibit as it is pretty graphic showing torture and suffering.

The Eight Immortals

scary mask of Haw Par Villa

There is another intricate display about the 8 immortals invading Neptune’s Palace.

It’s an amazing diorama of a the eight immortals fighting the Dragon King of the East Sea.

haw par village 8 immortals

photo by Lds CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

There are 150 Dioramas at Haw Par Villa and this is certainly one of the most memorable.

The entire park is filled with statues, giant masks and figurines.  You’ll spy tigers, pandas and giant lobsters.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Haw Par Villa

Other statues to keep an eye out for are The Laughing Buddha, an armed monkey, and Mercrab.

Haw Par Villa is odd and strange to say the least, but if you get a chance to go to Singapore, stop by this interesting cultural park.

You will be visiting one of the most unique theme parks on the planet.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming exhibit The Hell’s Museum.

Looking for where to stay in Singapore? Check out this in depth guide by local writer.

Haw Par Villa tips

Gilbert and Deb at Haw Par Villa
Deb and Gilbert

Definitely brush up on your Chinese Mythology and legend before you leave or hire a guide to explain each scene, it will make it much more entertaining and interesting.

I think that if you were to go to the village and simply look at the statues, you would simply find it bizarre and confusing.

But to have someone tell you the stories as you look on, it is pretty amazing.

Haw Par Villa – The Details

  • Admission to Haw Par Villa is Free!
  • Haw Par Villa is easily accessible by transit
  • Get off at Haw Par Villa Station CC25 (Circle Line)
  • Extra cost – minimal fee for the 10 Gates of hell
  • You can hire a guide for approx S10
  • Located in 262 Pasir Panjang Road

For more information on Singapore you may enjoy these articles:

  • How to Travel Like a Local in Singapore
  • The Best Things to do in Singapore – A Local’s Guide to the City
  • 3 Days in Singapore – The Perfect Singapore Itinerary for First Timers
  • Where to Stay in Singapore – The Best Neighborhoods and Accommodation
  • Outdoor Activities in Singapore
  • A Tour of Haw Par Villa in Singapore
  • The Best and Biggest Festivals Around The World

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About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine, the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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Comments

  1. gunasindhu says

    July 21, 2019 at 10:46 pm

    The sculptures comes alive once you understand the story behind it.Amazing story telling and a great opportunity to witness the old art and cultures influenced by Chinese community.

    Reply
  2. Zarina says

    February 17, 2018 at 3:25 am

    This is something new and interesting that I have read about Singapore. Nobody would’ve ever thought that they can get to see life-size statues and figurines depicting Chinese mythology in Singapore. The photos are so attractive and brimming with inquisitiveness that it can spark interest in anyone to visit Haw Par Villa. And I will ensure that I don’t miss visiting it whenever I am traveling to Singapore.

    Reply
  3. ChrisMiller says

    June 8, 2017 at 2:40 am

    OMG….it was a beautiful article by the writer. The place to visit for the visitors is amazing as few of the pictures are shown in the blog. Visitors have to travel to this place by booking a taxi in Singapore. The cheap & best taxi service in Singapore is Johor Transport. For more details visit: https://goo.gl/TthTFA

    Reply
  4. cheap holidays to spain says

    December 2, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    I have been browsing online greater than three hours these days, but I by no means found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It’s lovely worth sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made good content material as you did, the web will be a lot more helpful than ever before.

    Reply
  5. eMAGaZine says

    July 26, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    when I saw those pic, i really want to go to singapore right now 😳
    .-= eMAGaZine´s last blog ..Salehdbrent Sgdashhousedotcom =-.

    Reply
  6. Kim says

    October 1, 2009 at 9:18 am

    Very interesting to hear from some-one who has actually been there. The general consensus from the locals I’ve spoken to is that it really isn’t worth the time. Definitely will add it to the “off the beaten track in Singapore list”
    .-= Kim´s last blog ..North Korea, Vietnam and China – The Communist Tour =-.

    Reply
  7. Shannon OD says

    September 30, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    The pictures are gorgeous on this post and the lessons on Chinese Mythology just sound like amazing experience.
    .-= Shannon OD´s last blog ..a little myth…romanticizing nessie =-.

    Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    September 30, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    Love your photos, you guys! Just last week, I interviewed my friend Samantha about her recent trip to Singapore, and she loved Hell/Har Paw, too…in that voyeuristic, I-can’t-believe-I’m-seeing-this kind of way. Seems like a great place to keep a P.O. Box, just to get your mail in Hell…
    .-= [email protected]´s last blog ..Cape Cod: Jay & Tony’s Favorite Day Trips =-.

    Reply
  9. Amy @ The Q Family says

    September 30, 2009 at 11:09 am

    What? We were in Singapore for a whole month and we didn’t even know about this village. But we went there on a business trip though so most of our time were stuck in a cubicle on a high rise building. What a great place and we use Tiger Balm all the time. 🙂
    .-= Amy @ The Q Family´s last blog ..5 Tips to Take Kids on Business Conference Trip =-.

    Reply

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Hi we’re Dave and Deb, a Canadian adventure couple who left our careers in the film industry 10 years ago to travel the world. We’ve been to 115 countries on all seven continents and were named one of the top travel influencers on earth by Forbes.

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