Haw Par Villa

In terms of culture shock, Haw Par Villa must count as one of those places where bizzare meets a man's love for his brother.  The Aw brothers inherited their father's business, most notably the tiger balm ointment.  The brothers were named Tiger and Leopard, hence statues of tigers and leopards were also found in the Villa.  Generously, the Villa was opened to the public, where traditional chinese values and buddhism values could be passed down in a simple-to-understand manner for the masses though the many statues in the Villa (probably the population then in the 1930s was not highly educated, and such generousity enabled the passing on of traditional values).  While the statues may appear ghoulish and frightening at times, it must be remembered that the Villa was built in a differen era.

Haw Par Villa is now very easily accessible with a train station just at its entrance.  However, because the Villa is open-air, and the entrance to the Villa is also exposed to the elements, it could be a totally wet affair getting to the Villa if it rains.

An imposing mountain greets visitors as readying visitors for the ascend into a mytical word ahead.  Modern additions of unused ticketing booths mar the facade somewhat.

虎豹别墅是个卧虎藏龙之处？入口处卧了只虎。龙呢？当然藏起来了。

It is a little climb up the slope into Haw Par Villa, and it certainly corresponds to the Chinese saying 先苦后甜。Some physical payment is required upfront to enter a mythical world.

Buddhism is much one of the prominant themes of the Villa, and near the entrance is an area with buddha statues, one of which sits atop a pagoda, keeping a watchful and concerned eye over the countless visitors passing through the Villa as the years gone by.