Just wondering how many of us still remember the places a must to visit during the Lunar Chinese New Year. Yes, its Haw Par Villa but the original name was Tiger Balm Garden and was built in 1937 by Burmese Chinese brothers non-other than Mr Aw Boon Haw and Mr Aw Boon Par.
The park located along Pasir Panjang Road consists of more than a thousand statues which are mostly cast in concrete and more than 150 dioramas depicting Chinese mythology
Then in 1988 the Singapore Tourism Board took charge of it and renamed Haw Par Villa Dragon World, we could remember a big concrete dragon at the entrance on a slope.
After the STB took over entrance fees had been levied then the attendance started to drop because of the high fees.
The most famous is Journey to the West, Ten Courts of Hell, Romance of the three kingdoms, Feng Shen Ban, 24 Filial Exemplars, Madam White Snake, Laughing Buddha, Guan Yin, etc.......
There are also the 12 Chinese Animal Zodiacs, and monument dedicated to the Aw Brothers and their parents.
I think the younger generation is not keen to find this place interesting anymore instead they hang around the newer theme park like Universal World, S.E.A Aquarium. Now with the new Circle Line MRT going to its doorstep and I hope more people will go there.
I think this coming Lunar New Year please try to make an effort to bring your children, grandchildren, to visit again I'll be back.
