Walk through the Ten Courts of Hell
The last Tiger Balm garden on Earth
Haw Par Villa covers 8.5 hectares on Pasir Panjang Road and holds over 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas of Chinese mythology, folklore and Confucian morality, built in painted concrete.
Why it's unique
The Aw brothers made Tiger Balm and built gardens like this in Singapore, Hong Kong and Fujian to pass on Chinese values through statuary. The others are gone. This is the last Tiger Balm Garden in the world, opened in 1937 and still standing on its original ground.
The Ten Courts of Hell is what nobody forgets. It is a walk-through cave depicting, at close range and in vivid paint, the specific punishment allotted to each specific sin — dismemberment for ingratitude, a pot of oil for tax evasion. It was built as an instructive attraction for children, and it is genuinely disturbing in a way no modern theme park would attempt.
Before you go
**The outdoor park has been partially closed for maintenance since 8 December 2025.** Hell's Museum, which holds the Ten Courts, has stayed open throughout — so the part you came for is the part still running. Check before travelling.
Go in the morning: there is little shade and the concrete holds heat. Take the MRT to Haw Par Villa station, which puts you at the gate. Do not bring young children expecting a theme park.