Opened in 1937, this weird and wonderful park was named after its owners, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, the brothers who made their fortune from the acclaimed cure-all ointment Tiger Balm (it’s also known as Tiger Balm Gardens). Multicoloured statues and tableaux – some looking rather neglected– depict scenes from Chinese history and mythology. The highlight is the Ten Courts of Hell (responsible for childhood nightmares for generations of Singaporeans) where small-scale tableaux show human sinners being punished in a variety of hideous and bloodthirsty ways – in extremely gory and graphic detail. It’s a safe bet that you will never see anything like it anywhere else.
Transport
Bus Lines: 10, 51, 143, 188, 200
Telephone 6872 2780
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This place is kitsch and gross and absolutely wonderful! I love it so much and enjoy the craziness of it every time I go to Singapore. It is like a bizarre combination of Hindu-ish statues crossed with the things of dreams, Chinese gardens and just strange mythological bizarreness!
Posted on Sun 31 Jul 2011 03:12:49