The Haw Par theme park is also called the “Tiger Balm Gardens,” although among those who have been there the definition “horror park” is more popular. It must be admitted that this place really does send chills down your spine, especially if you are impressionable.
The park was created by the brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, the makers of the famous лечебного Tiger Balm. Having made a fortune from its sale, the brothers decided to spend part of the money on creating a sculpture park. They chose Chinese mythology as the theme. It is not really clear whether the Chinese have such strange mythology, or whether the original idea was later forgotten, but the spectacle you will see is truly unique.
The most fitting word to define the style of Haw Par Villa is psychedelia and delirium. Monkeys in T-shirts and shorts with pioneer bugles, people killing each other in different poses and situations, a woman breastfeeding an ancient old woman, a giant rat in a jacket talking on the phone... This is only a small fraction of the extravaganza of unexpected images on display.
The artistic value of the park’s exhibits is very... peculiar, but one thing definitely worth doing is having a photo shoot at Haw Par Villa. You probably will not be able to take such strange photos anywhere else in the world. In total, the park features about 1000 sculptures and 150 staged compositions made from them.
