Haw Par Villa, the 10 Courts of Hell

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Click following links to view the 10 Courts of Hell. the 10 Courts of Hell How much do you know about Haw Par Villa? A unique garden that is rich in educational value and grand in architecture. It is an undisputed wonderland of beautiful landscape and over a thousand sculptures which artistically portray stories and events based on famous Chinese historical personalities, mythology and legends. History Established in 1937 as one of the 3 private residences of the Aw brothers and taking 2 years to build the original site, this historic quintessential house of Chinese folklore is now one of the most scenic sites in Singapore. It was first built by the entrepreneurial and charismatic Aw Boon Haw for his brother Boon Par. Described by various visitors as ?��fascinating, delightful, bizarre and entertaining?��, Haw Par Villa is like no other place in the world. The Aw brothers, Aw Boon Haw (Tiger) and Aw Boon Par (Leopard) became famous and world famous, for their ointment called Tiger Balm (this balm is NOT made of tigers). The ointment is still made it in Singapore and available in stores across the island. Being so rich, they originally built seven pagoda-like structures on the grounds and was originally called Tiger Balm Gardens. The grounds were furnished with statues depicting ancient mythological creatures and stories from Ancient China, many of which still stand on the now named, Haw Par Villa. The 67-year-old Haw Par Villa, situated along Pasir Panjang Road has been marked by the National Heritage Board as a historic site in April 2003. Mr Aw Boon Haw, a famous local philanthropist who founded the Tiger Balm business, built the Park in 1937. Haw Par Villa is a park furnished with clusters of statues and figurines that depict intriguing stories of ancient Chinese mythology, legends and values. Ten Courts of Hell The refurbished "10 Courts of Hell", housed within a new cave structure, offer visitors the ambience of a journey through "Hell". Prior to the refurbishment, the "10 Courts of Hell" was housed in a dragon structure which was developed in the 1990s. As part of the effort to reinstate the old charm of the park, the dragon structure was removed in December 2003 since it was not part of the original exhibit developed by Mr Aw in the 1930s. Located in the east wing of Haw Par Villa, the "10 Courts of Hell" is a perennial favourite amongst visitors. It tells of the intriguing Chinese mythology of life after death through the display of colourful mythological statues and figurines. The origins of the "10 Courts of Hell" is believed to be based on the Indian Buddhist legend of the "World of Suffering where one would be punished in "Hell" for sins committed in one"s present life. The concept of "one reaps what one sows" and "cause and effect depicted in the "10 Courts of Hell" is the central tenet that serves to restrain anti-social, unethical or immoral behaviour. The Buddhist concepts of "Hell" had spread to China during the late Tang Dynasty. Over the centuries, most Chinese had adopted and integrated these ideas and concepts into their own beliefs. Each of the "10 Courts" is presided over by a "Yama" taking charge of the various torture chambers to penalize evil-doers. These "Yama" could decree the different methods and severity of punishments to be meted out based on one"s past deeds. 初建于1937年，虎豹别墅是新加坡一位企业家胡文虎为弟弟所建的。别墅里的雕塑栩栩如生地刻画出中国民间传说及故事。到此的游客形容它为“引人入胜、惊喜、怪异、富娱乐性”。虎豹别墅将建筑及雕塑合为一体，将许多家喻户晓的华族民间故事集合于一处。在这里，您能见到西游记、八仙大闹海龙宫、白蛇传及其他故事里的人物，他们以鲜艳夺目的色彩活灵活现地展现出来，巧妙地将中国民间传统及文化长久地保存下来，供后代参观了解。虎豹别墅(Haw Par Villa)是一座佔地三万二千平方公尺的私人公园，又名虎标万金油花园，是世界闻名的游览胜地之一，它的位置在郊区西岸山上的巴西斑让路。公园依山而建，是华侨胡文虎和古文豹兄弟在南洋开药厂、卖万金油、八卦丹、清快水和虎油等，发了大财后耗资千万所兴建的，以造型生动的神话野兽和中国英雄人物吸引游客。园中建有古典式的亭臺楼阁，并修有佛塔、假山、洞窟、阶梯和中国警世传说现世和来世的因果报应景象，以及东方所特有色彩鲜明的神秘人像，并塑造出另一未知世界的情形，人们置身园中，就像进入另一个世界似地，神秘而可捉摸。园中塑像数以千计，姿态万千，触目惊心，蔚為奇观。将中国古代的风俗习惯和神话，以及几部重要章回小说，如三国演义、二十四孝、封神榜、水晶宫、西游记、水滸传和十八层地狱等故事及重要人物，都予以具像塑製，基脚标註中英文说明，真是五花八门，洋洋大观。此外，这个中国神话色彩浓厚的公园既名為虎豹别墅，所以虎和豹的塑像也就特别多。

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