[2024 Singapore Attraction] Travel Guide for Haw Par Villa (Updated Nov)
Theater
Theme Parks
Address:
262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628
Opening times:
Opens at 9:00-20:00Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hours
Phone:
6773 0103
Singapore’s strangest museum “Haw Par Villa”
#museums #singapore #100waysoftravel
When I was young my mom will bring me to the Haw Par Villa in Singapore, and it was a fascinating and unique experience. This theme park and museum offers a deep dive into Chinese mythology and folklore, featuring an array of colorful and intricate sculptures that depict various legends and moral tales.
The highlight of the visit is the Ten Courts of Hell, a striking and sometimes intense exhibition that portrays the consequences of one's actions in the afterlife according to traditional Chinese beliefs. It's both educational and thought-provoking, providing insights into cultural values and historical attitudes.
The park's quirky and vivid displays, combined with its lush gardens and historical ambiance, make it a captivating destination. While some of the exhibits might be overwhelming or unusual, they offer a rare glimpse into a different side of cultural heritage. The staff are knowledgeable and can provide additional context and explanations to enhance your visit.
Overall, Haw Par Villa is a must-see for those interested in mythology, cultural history, and unusual attractions. Its distinctive character and educational value make it a memorable part of Singapore’s diverse cultural landscape.
The park is FREE to enter, making it an accessible and budget-friendly attraction.
ADDRESS: Haw Par Villa is located at 262 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118628.
#summer #chinese #culture #daytour
Lookinggoodgina
Singapore's Quirky Attractions Showcase
📝Singapore Travelogue part18: Haw Par Villa📝
🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
Haw Par Villa was built in 1937 and was one of the top Chinese tycoons of the time, the owner of 'Tiger Balm' Hu Wen Hu, who gifted it to his brother Hu Wen Bao as a garden villa, and opened the garden part to the public for free. Today, the villa is no longer there, but the garden has been preserved.
🖼️🖼️🖼️🖼️
The entire garden has over 1000 statues and 150 dioramas, most of which are themed around traditional Chinese culture, folklore, and literary works, such as the Eighteen Levels of Hell, the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, Journey to the West, Legend of the White Snake, and so on. However, it also integrates foreign sculptures like the Statue of Liberty and Indian Garuda. The whole mix is just something you wouldn't expect.
📷📷📷📷
The style and aesthetics of these sculptures are indescribable, and to call them quirky and an eyesore is to put it mildly 😂. The content of many sculptures is too direct, and the scale is so large that I think posting pictures would probably not pass censorship. At that time, I was wondering how Singapore, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, could have such a quirky attraction? But then I thought, this is actually a theme park from over 80 years ago. Even if it's 'the tears of the time,' it was the most fashionable and international theme park of that materially and culturally deprived era.
Visited on February 21, 2015
Travelicious Tastes
Existing Haw Par Villa!
If you love eccentric private art projects (with a strong Chinese flavour), there's a lot here to enjoy. The park is bigger than I expected and is free, apart from the Hell's Museum section, which features the (moderately famous?) luridly illustrated 10 Courts of Chinese Hell. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the museum actually deals with the whole topic of the history of religious belief in an afterlife in a quite erudite and interesting fashion. I strongly recommend the guided tour, and my guide Paul today was very good. If you have any interest in comparative religion, the $18 entry is well worth it.
#hawparvilla
Travelogist
The Former Tiger Balm Garden
Really enjoyed this place. So many different sculptures depicting folk stories as well as myths and weird scenes open to interpretation. It's also free!
The Hell's Museum is separate and requires an entrance fee. I believe it's well worth it. Along with numerous scenes of hell and odd methods of punishment, there is a wealth of information on burial practices and beliefs I wouldn't know about otherwise.
Overall, I would visit again. One of my favorite places in Singapore.
#singaporetrip #thingstodo
Anything travels
Haw Par Villa Pre-Wedding Shoot
Haw Par Villa, situated in the heart of Singapore, is not your typical backdrop for pre-wedding photos. Yet, within its surreal and often bizarre sculptures, this unconventional park offers a unique canvas for couples seeking a one-of-a-kind pre-wedding shoot experience. From whimsical folklore figures to vibrant, otherworldly scenes, Haw Par Villa is a treasure trove of visual surprises waiting to be discovered. Sharing my own pre-wedding shoot adventure at this remarkable location, showcasing how love and unconventionality can harmoniously coexist. My goal is to inspire soon-to-be-weds and fellow explorers to think beyond the ordinary and consider Haw Par Villa as a backdrop for their special day.
#singapore
SereneKoh
This Park Contains Over 1.000 Statues😲🗿
#timetotravel
Haw Par Villa is a theme park located along Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore. The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism.
Haw Par Villa is famous for its vivid depictions of the Ten Courts of Hell from Chinese folklore. Many Singaporeans will cheekily reminisce about being brought there as children by their parents, to learn about the exacting nature of traditional Chinese morality.
🧮Haw Par Villa
262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628
#instagramworthydestinations #trip #travel
Mersizi
Haw Par Villa
#singapore
My wife and I were in the bus when we passed by Haw Par Villa. I immediately asked her to go down with me as I wanna relive my childhood memories from here. I also wanted to give her a chance to explore this place.
When I was young, our primary school brought us here on an excursion. It was very lively there. There was also a boat ride then. Now, Haw Par Villa is quite quiet. However, there are still staff who maintain the statutes there. I really appreciate the work they put so that this plsce can be preserved and appreciated by the next generation.
Address: 262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628
Bret Huat
A charming (and a bit scary) place- Haw Par Villa
Haw Par Villa is a fascinating and unique attraction, I’d say there is no where like this in the world. Its Chinese traditional stories are showcased through hundreds of statues, you can spend the whole day here if you are willing to explore it in detail. Highly recommended for those interested in Asian mythology and folklore.#mytripvlog
Erica’s the way
Haw Par Villa
By far most one of my favorite places to be in Singapore. The Haw Par Villa is a beautiful park with amazing sculptures. Very artistic work here. The entire Villa, has history of Singapore. Talking about the country. If you’re interested in studying and learning more about Singapore. I highly suggest you come and check this place out. They also have a section about the different methods of torture being used in the past. Hope you enjoy this attraction.
Rene Lee
💫WEIRDLY WONDERFUL HAW PAR VILLA💫
Address - Haw Par Villa is located at 262 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118628
Getting There - I recommend taking the MRT as it’s the most straightforward way to get there. Alight at Haw Par Villa MRT (Circle Line, yellow) and proceed to Exit A ( CC25 ).
Highlights - THE 10 COURTS OF HELL & CHINESE 🇨🇳FABLES AND STORIES.
Rating - 7.5/10
This Chinese culture theme park was slated to be one of Singapore’s 🇸🇬 major tourist attractions back in the day, though these days it is more of a nostalgic curiosity and is somewhat shabby and mostly forgotten. Haw Par Villa is still home to some of the weirdest sculptures I’ve seen though, and worth a visit if you like quirky attractions without a crowd (and also… free!).😀
Haw Par Villa isn’t very big – you can easily explore it in 1-2 hours.
THE 10 COURTS OF HELL.
The most famous section of Haw Par Villa that any one who has ever visited it back in the day is the 10 Courts of Hell, an idea rooted in the Buddhist belief that you reap what you sow. Basically the belief is that all your sins in life are punishable in death, and the worst your sin, the more epically gory your torture will be.
To end this, I took about 2 hours to circle the park without a tour, it’s a little hilly so be prepared to walk a bit. Also, no air-conditioning so consider a paper fan or a hat 👒 to stay cool – there are benches here and there to sit down.
#singapore #awesomepic #culturewalk #hawparvilla
Ban Mohamed
Tiger Balm Garden
#meetsingapore
How Far Villa - Tiger Balm Garden
What is great from this place is FREE ENTRANCE!
You can visit this place and learning about outdoor art gallery of the Mythical God & Buddhism Religion.
There is a lot of statues inside the park, the most iconic statues that I had seen is The Otherworld Experiences.
The 10 Courts of Hell, the art is a little bit frightening when you see it. You will feel yourself immerse in hell itself.
What is amazing from this place is you can take a lot of good photos with the statues and all of it is a good photos. Try visit yourself here!
#singapore #howparvilla #statue #outdoorart
Willis Gravitan
A Day at Haw Par Villa
With all that Covid tied down without easy Overseas Travel, it’s time to rediscover Singapore!
While the opening crowd has died down for booking of the newly opened “hell museum”, reservation for a slot is much easier now!
Hell Museum:
Air conditioned , very educational with histories of the various religions and their beliefs , followed be the famous clear depicting of the different level of punishments in the so-called Hell.
the main park is pretty dated, with an in-house Café .
there ponds filled with tortoise everywhere and feeds can be bought at various stands to hype it up a little for the little discoverers you’re bringing along !
#tigeryear2022 #rediscoversg #SpooktacularTrip #SGInsider
Zomo
Asian Cultural Park (Haw Par Villa)
#sginsider
The history of China, one of the oldest cultures in the world, stretches back thousands of years and is full of stories. Visitors to Haw Par Villa, a treasury of legendary narratives, can learn about Chinese tradition and religious beliefs.
This place was not as crowded as other attractions in Singapore and also the entrance was free. Moreover, there is a Hell Museum here and admission was fee-based. We didn't want to visit, maybe I were a little scared. But those who are interested can also visit here.
#hawparvilla #culturalattractions #singapore #traditional #singaporetravel
Melike
Extraordinary park, Haw Par Villa
#sginsider
Haw par villa is an iconic heritage park built on a 6-hectare area in Singapore.
It was previously known as the tiger palm park because most of the works here are made of tiger palm.
You can see more than 1000 statues of Chinese mythology and literature in this park. I couldn't understand some of the descriptions because I don't know much about Chinese literature.
In addition, there is the Hell's museum in the park, which is located indoors, you have to pay fee to enter this section. Overall it was a fun place to visit , I will come again this place and definitely recommend.
#hawparvilla #singapore #tiger #asiatrip #travelinspiration
Coluber
Haw Par Villa
#bucketlistreboot
I was in the bus with my wife when we went past Haw Par Villa. I told her to go down with me as I wanna relieve my childhood memories. The ride at Haw Par Villa was one of the most memorable things. Too bad that there is no more such rides.
Haw Par Villa is a theme park located along Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore. The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism.
I really appreciate the staff who take great care in maintaining the statues of the place
Address: 262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628
Bret Huat
Haw Par Villa Tiger Balm Garden
Address: 262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628
Highlights:
Haw Par Villa is famous for its vivid depictions of the Ten Courts of Hell from Chinese folklore, statues and dioramas depicting scenes from the legends, history and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism.
It was founded in 1937 by successful entrepreneur and businessman Aw Boon Haw (Tiger), a Rangoon-born ethnic Chinese, famous for the Tiger Balm branded liniment (ointment), as a gift to his brother, Aw Boon Par (Leopard). This classic pain-relieving ointment can be traced to a Chinese herbalist who began selling it in the 1870s; subsequently commercialized by his sons, it's been sold around the world ever since. The original garden was located in Hong Kong but is now closed. The second is in Singapore, and a third is in Fujian province of Mainland China.
It can be reached from the Haw Par Villa MRT station on the green line. The park is open daily from 9am-6pm and admission is free. An interesting place to visit to know more about Chinese traditional values.
Rating: 4/5
#mustdo
#mustvisit
#singapore
#hawparvilla
FlyingNoodles
A walk in Hell down at Haw Par Villa
Attractions are located generally in the center of Singapore or in the west. A well hidden attraction popular among both tourist and locals is the hell museum stretched over 3,800sqm.
The Haw Par Villa Park is free in general, with the artifacts showing God, peasants and soldiers in the afterlife. A small area requires an entry fee which showcases different religions, the 10 infamous afterlife courts of hell, the concept between the graphic image of your sins and punishment in hell. The tour includes a guided tour of the entire museum and understanding a deeper insights of what one would do prepping the deceased and what to aspect in the afterlife.
Do remember to bring water with you as the park isn't sheltered and tends to get really warm. The museum is air conditioned. There is also a small shop which cells artifacts, souvenirs, drinks and food for visitors.
Ticket price costs:
$18 for adult
$10 for children
the entire visit lasts about 2-3 hours, and Haw Par Villa operates from Wednesday to Sunday at 10am - 6pm. If you want to go for the guided tour, be there early as it is a first come first serve basis and the last tour runs at 4.15pm daily.
#culturewalk #musuem #singapore #afterlife #awesomepic #park #knowledge #history #tour #hawparvilla #hellmusuem #urbanexplorer #attractions #createwithtrip #tripmoments
Kinnie Kong
Haw Par Villa
Haw Par Villa was built in 1937 by the founders of Tiger Balm, designed to be a fun place to teach children about Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist mythology.It is located along Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore. The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism. In here, you can see life and death in a new light in this spine-chilling tour of Haw Par Villa!
It is easy to get here where you just need to take the Circle Line and stop at the Haw Villa station. The park is a minute away from the station.
BunnyL
Hell is open for visit
#exploresgtogether #attractions
Yes, you can actually buy a ticket to hell to take a look. Museum is opened for viewing with tickets priced at $18 for adults and $10 for children (age 7 and above requires a ticket). Otherwise the rest of the garden is actually free admission (unless you drive there then there is a $5 parking fee). Through a labyrinth of colorful stone and elaborate dioramas, famous Chinese classics such as Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the story of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Eastern Sea are brought to life in stunning detail. The art pieces embodies religion and culture drawing influences from The Chinese and Southeast Asians. Aside from that, nobody talks about this enough but do take some time to feed the cute turtles and fishes in the pond!
Taniaang
Haw Par Villa
Address - 262 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 118628
Getting There - Haw Par Villa is located along Pasir Panjang Road, easily accessible via public transport and car. The Haw Par Villa MRT station is just a minute's walk from the entrance of the park.
Park Opening Hours - 9.00am – 10.00pm (last entry 9.30pm)
Entrance Fee - Free
Haw Par Villa is formerly known as the Tiger Balm Garden. The compound is an 8.5-hectare Asian cultural park, the last of its kind in the world. The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore, legends, history, and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism according to Haw Par Villa.
After closure due to refurbishment work, the park has reopened with restored sculptures. There is also enhanced lighting to improve visibility within the park. It's a great place to spend the day and find out more about Chinese mythology especially if you are a fan of journey to the west like I do.
#summervacation#urbanexplorer
Buzybee
the whackiest place in sg 💥
#singaporetrip This place doesn't feel like SG, it feels like a fever dream 🃏 📍Address: Haw Par Villa 💰 Price: Free entry! (Except for the Hell Museum) Growing up, my mum used to bring me to Haw Par Villa often to scare me into being a good person, HAHA. Back then, the Hell Museum was free (but had no air conditioning). The Hell Museum, also known as the 18 Levels of Hell, showcases various punishments for different crimes, portrayed in a very violent way LOL. I remember seeing figurines impaled by spears or being cut in half by grinders, etc. The crimes could be as trivial as cheating in exams 🙃 How did I not become traumatized from that experience lolol? Nevertheless, I still love visiting Haw Par Villa. I love the quirky statues depicting Chinese legends and the vibrant colors. It's really a unique place in SG! 🫶
Notclarehere
A Free Cultural Gem
#travelhacks
Haw Par Villa, an eclectic theme park filled with over 1,000 statues and dioramas from Chinese folklore, is a unique attraction often overlooked by travelers. Best of all, it’s free to enter. The park offers an insightful look into Chinese mythology and moral tales, making it a fascinating stop for culturally curious travelers.
Travel Hack:
• Best Time to Visit: Early morning to avoid the heat and crowds.
• What to Bring: Comfortable walking shoes as the park covers a large area.
• Don’t Miss: The 10 Courts of Hell exhibit—an eerie but fascinating display of Chinese afterlife beliefs.
RamziRazan
Haw Par Villa
Visiting Haw Par Villa was a unique and exciting cultural experience in Singapore. Haw Par Villa is a theme park featuring giant statues and sculptures that depict Chinese legends and Oriental heritage. I enjoyed exploring the dark corridors and discovering the vividly illustrated scenes of stories and legends. I marveled at the colorful statues of dragons, gods, and other legendary figures. I also visited the adjacent zoo and saw a variety of rare animals. I learned a lot about Chinese cultural heritage and enjoyed the fantastic atmosphere at Haw Par Villa.
Nada Shawky
##traveller
Sharfa2017
Exploring Singapore's Haw Par Villa: A Fantastical World of Chinese Folklore
I had the privilege of visiting Haw Par Villa, located in Pasir Panjang, Singapore. It was an awe-inspiring experience. The villa, built by the Tiger Balm entrepreneur Aw Boon Haw for his brother Aw Boon Par, was once known as the Tiger Balm Gardens.
Stepping into Haw Par Villa, I felt as though I had entered a magical realm. The villa exudes a strong Chinese cultural atmosphere with its distinctive design featuring traditional Chinese elements. I saw many sculptures vividly depicting scenes and characters from Chinese folklore.
Visiting Haw Par Villa was a cultural journey. I gained a deeper understanding of the rich essence of Chinese folklore and Aw Boon Haw's passion for traditional Chinese culture. I was captivated by the sculptures and details displayed throughout the villa, each showcasing unique craftsmanship and the essence of art.
In summary, visiting Singapore's Haw Par Villa was an unforgettable experience. The villa not only displays Aw Boon Haw's unique taste and love for Chinese culture but also allowed me to delve deeper into the charm of Chinese folklore.
李宅男$hy_jacky
Interesting Park in Singapore
#singaporetrip Interesting theme park in the South Western part of Singapore featuring scenes and characters from Chinese folklore, history, legends and religions. The most important attraction is the Ten Courts of Hell for which the visitor has to pay an entrance fee. The other outdoor attractions are free of charge. Brings back children memories for many older Singaporeans.