Tiger Balm Gardens

My cousin David G asked me if we'd been to Tiger Balm Gardens yet. We hadn't -- and since Dave has been to Singapore multiple times -- we decided to act on his suggestion and made the trip.

The "Uniquely Singapore" website describes the place as "fascinating, delightful, bizarre and entertaining, Haw Par Villa is like no other place in the world."

I'd say that about covers it.

If you've heard of Tiger Balm, then you already know some of the history of this place. It was built in 1937 by the one of the Tiger Balm founders, Aw Boon Haw, for his brother Aw Boon Par. It's known locally as Haw Par Villa after the brothers' first names. (Last names come first in Chinese.)

It was built as a place to learn about traditional Chinese stories and values. There are over a 1,000 statues so even the 41 photos in the photo album does not come close to capturing the scale of the place. Admission is free, except for $1 to go through the "Ten Courts of Hell" exhibit.

In this exhibit, you are treated to a graphically detailed portrayal of the Chinese equivalent of Dante's Inferno. In each court there is a sign of the offenses covered by that court and the punishments. Following that is the gruesome diorama depicting the punishments. It left me wondering what kind of conversations parents and children might have walking through the exhibit. And whether or not going here was a reward or punishment.

It's a definite "you must experience" kind of place on several levels. The artistry is remarkable, the scale is impressive, and the opportunity to gain insight into another culture's traditions is compelling. Even when it has a bit of "Ripley's" vibe going through it.

Thanks, Dave. Link to photo album.