I always enjoy Singapore – it’s clean, modern and it has great sights and delicious food. But then there’s Haw Paw.

HawPaw villa is a love it or hate it place. I love it, it’s one of the best days out ever!

Once it was called Tiger Balm Gardens because it was named after the ointment. The business man who started the park in 1937 was the son of the inventor of the balm. Admission is free and it’s easy to get to as it’s next to a Mass Rapid Transit Station. It was opened to the public to educate them about Chinese cultural values. Once it was as popular as the famous night zoo.  It’s old fashioned, shabby, and run down but its absolutely brilliant. Its a lesson in Confucianism and Chinese mythology. There are a thousand statues in various states of disrepair and one hundred and fifty dioramas.

Ten Courts of Hell

The star of the show is the Ten Courts of Hell. A gruesome and unique way to show the fate that awaits bad people. They go to hell and very very bad things happen to them!

Some get boiled in oil, some get their heart cut out or their limbs torn off. Then at the end, they all get reborn to start all over again.

The attraction of this place is that its completely unique. Its very non-pc and would probably frighten children or the sensitive to death. Lots of people will hate it and think its a complete waste of time. There’s so much to see here. You could spend many hours wandering round trying to workout what is happening and  guessing wrong. I think you can get a guided tour so you understand things better. But it’s all just so mind-boggling that it doesn’t matter.

Just enjoy the bright colours and craziness.