Heaven, hell and folklore at Haw Par Villa
Local tour guide in Singapore, Singapore.
I fell in love with Haw Par Villa as a child, when the Ten Courts of Hell gave me nightmares and questions in equal measure. I studied Chinese mythology and religion at university largely to answer those questions. Now I guide travellers through Asia's strangest theme park, decoding a thousand statues of gods, demons, and moral lessons. It is weird, wonderful, and far deeper than its reputation. Bring your curiosity.
Explore the surreal 1937 park built by the Tiger Balm brothers, where a thousand statues teach Confucian morals through gloriously graphic dioramas. A mythology specialist decodes the legends behind the spectacle: the Monkey King, the Eight Immortals, and the infamous Ten Courts of Hell. Strange, profound, and unforgettable.