Haw Par Villa
262 Pasir Panjang Road
Singapore 118628

Haw Par Villa is a Park, a Fantasy Land and One Big Moral Lesson !

Landscape, Statuary & Special Exhibits:- Haw Par Villa, about the size of three football fields, is a garden like no other – consists mainly of ponds, pagodas, pavilions, grottoes, terraces, greenery and a large number of statues of different sizes depicting historical personalities, events, legends, myths as well as figures of animals. Many stand-alone sculptures are very popular among photographers and ordinary visitors, such as ‘Laughing Buddha, Confucius, Fu Lu Shou, Mythical Dragons, Mermaids and many others. There are also other interesting and meaningful sites and exhibits which visitors would not want to miss – examples:

1. The Eight Immortals’ Battle Beneath The Eastern Sea
   It is a favourite Chinese folktale told as early as the Tang Dynasty period (A.D. 618-906). The scene of this group of colourful sculptures describes the rowdy battle between the Eight Immortals, each with his own magical powers, and the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace’s soldiers in various forms of sea life – squid, crabs, and fish of all sorts.
2. Battle of the Yellow River Formation & Canonization of Saints
   Made up of over a hundred statues, this department relates the epic historical Battle of Mu Ye. It was written in the 16th century; almost 2,500 years after the actual battle took place. The story relates the struggle for power between the last ruler of the Shang Dynasty and the first ruler of the Zhou Dynasty. This episode in history gradually evolved into epic myths.
3. Madam White Snake
   This is another classic Chinese folktale about two beautiful snake maidens using their magical powers to overcome all obstacles standing against the love between Madam White Snake, Bai Su Zhen and her mortal husband Xu Xian.
4. Journey To The West
   Consist of several segments, the sculptures portray some of the obstacles and troubles that a holy and pious monk, Xuangzang and his disciples, Sun Wukong, Zhu Ba Zie and Sha Sheng had to overcome during their long and arduous journey to the ‘Western Paradise’ (said to be India) to obtain the Buddhist Scriptures. The story highlights that ‘The realization of one’s dream demands unwavering loyalty and commitment’.
5. Tableaux of Virtues and Vices
   This site is a strong favourite among parents and teachers accompanied by children. It displays more than a hundred figurines illustrating the virtues of desirable human traits and practices as opposed to the pitfall of misdeeds and vices. They focus on ethic like, ‘Put Money And Time To Good Use’, ‘Debts Lead To A Life Of Ruin’, ‘Worldly Happiness Is Transitory’, ‘Be Kind To Animals’, ‘Gambling Can Cost You Everything’, ‘Work Hard In Your Youth And Have No Regrets’ and ‘Be A Loyal Friend’.