Have You Been to Singapore’s Most Bizarre Theme Park?

Believe it or not, this place was once a highly popular attraction…

Life is full of ups and downs; similarly, a place thrives and declines.

Back in the 1930s, brothers and makers of Tiger Balm Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par built three parks in Hong Kong, Singapore, and China’s Fujian province, calling them “Haw Par Villa”. That’s how rich and powerful they were in those days. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, Haw Par Villa in Singapore is the biggest of these parks. A villa suggests that it is meant to be a residence, but this villa is instead open to the public with the purpose of promoting a product: Tiger Balm. No wonder Haw Par Villa’s entrance sign has a couplet that uses the words “wan/jin” (or “abundant/gold”, the chinese name for the balm). Did you ever notice it?

The couplet goes: “Abundant” waters meet the sea in dazzling silver waves; with “gold” goblets we admire the vistas before us. The words “abundant/gold” represent the Aw family’s Tiger Balm business, and the name “Haw Par” Villa naturally originates from the brothers’ names (Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par). However, from the perspective of Landform feng shui, “Haw” and “Par” (Tiger and Leopard) are inseparable from this area’s feng shui fomation.

Singapore’s Haw Par Villa is located along Pasir Panjang Road, close to the sea, and belongs to the “Leopard Guarding the Tiger Land” feng shui formation. Haw Par Villa was built by elder brother Aw Boon Haw for younger brother Aw Boon Par as the latter’s residence. Incredible! Aw Boon “Par” (leopard) indeed lived here, guarding the land that Aw Boon “Haw” (Tiger) spent millions to build in 1937. Is this mere coincidence or a reflection of the land’s power? You decide.

To this end, we can’t help but wonder: do the Haw Par Villas in Hong Kong and Fujian also adhere to “tiger” or “leopard” related feng shui formations? We’ll let you know if we ever get a chance to visit!

Apart from belonging to the “Leopard Guarding the Tiger Land” formation, this area has also been coined as a “gold leopard hauling money”, which is highly beneficial for growing wealth. Furthermore, the Aw brothers built numerous statues in Haw Par Villa in order to promote values like filial piety and integrity. To say that they were using the feng shui here to enhance the land’s geographical advantage wouldn’t be surprising; in fact, this could well be the reason for the Aw brothers’ phenomenal success.

This area enjoys pretty good feng shui, but has been languishing for decades. Of course, we can attribute this to changing times. In the 60’s and 70’s there weren’t many leisure spots around, and family outings to Haw Par Villa were both entertaining and enriching. Today, however, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to having fun and this place is now considered old-fashioned.

On the other hand, feng shui has its own explanation for Haw Par Villa’s desolation today. According to Grand Master Tan Khoon Yong’s analysis, the nature of developments around this area could have resulted in the “golden leopard’s haul” getting stuck, causing Haw Par Villa’s fortunes to fade. To improve the situation, some maintenance and management of the grounds is needed. In addition, there could be some proper development to turn the place into an attraction. After all, to increase human traffic, there must be food and entertainment facilities present.

The Haw Par brothers were legendary figures; the Haw Par Villa they built was similarly inventive and unique. Apart from depicting Chinese historical myths and fables through authentic architecture and statues, it even had a diorama of the “18 Levels of Hell” to illustrate the concept of karma and retribution. While this “18 Levels of Hell” isn’t real, the figures within are eerily lifelike, with some even displaying expressions of sheer agony as they’re being punished for their sins. The dark surroundings also lend an air of creepiness to the place that will make you feel immense discomfort and terror. Is it because this place is a land of fearsome “tigers and leopards”? That certainly seems plausible!

Everything blooms and decays…when will the now-decrepit Haw Par Villa be revived again? Perhaps it’s waiting for a new set of owners with “tiger” (虎) and “leopard” (豹) in their names…