Sunday was Haw Par Villa day! HAha.. I remembered setting foot on that place long long ago when I was ard 5/6?.. HAHa.. So after more than a decade, I went back again =)
Why that place all of a sudden? I duno.. HAha.. It was the usual Sunday brunch with Daddy and Ah qi, so it just came into mind all of a sudden.. HAha! Singapore is too small leh… So after filling our stomachs with Ya kun toast set at Toa Payoh, we drove down all the way to Pasir Panjang.. Side track a lil.. Ya kun’s soft boiled eggs are so nice.. Seriously, it’s so much nicer, fatter, rounder than those found in normal kopi tiams.. Hee! Of coz, the price is a lot nicer too..
HAha! We were so excited, like kids going on excursions you know =P Parking lots are sooo diff to find I tell ya… We had to travel in circles to find the cheapest parking around the vicinity coz the nearest parking to the villa charged a fee of $5 per entry! Daylight robbery can.. HAha..
So, we settled for some private parking compound (which obviously looks like the normal coupon parking area, but some ah pek came and collect money from all cars that came in, and gave us a parking receipt... like he own the place =P maybe he does.. nvm... HAha!) across the villa, which costs $2 per entry.. Still expensive, but it’s the cheapest..
Tadah! Finally arrived =) Posing with the big sign at the entrance which says ‘Free Admission’
I’m posing with the tiger right at the top of the man made cliff.. =)
Posing with daddy at the entrance =)
How meaningful.. Perservere and remember your roots.. HAha! It sounds very awful after I translate..Some history about the place.. Lesson time!
Built in 1937 by the entrepreneurial and charismatic Aw Boon Haw for his brother Boon Par, Haw Par Villa is the quintessential house of Chinese folklore. Described by various visitors as "fascinating, delightful, bizarre and entertaining", Haw Par Villa is like no other place in the world.Twenty-five clusters of original statues and figurines replicate Chinese mythology characters like the Laughing Buddha and the Fu Lu Shou (Taoist deities). A must-see exhibit is the Ten Courts of Hell, featuring the ten steps of judgement before reincarnation. Literal and leaving nothing to the imagination, the statues and sets immortalise moral values and Chinese cultural heritage for generations to come.
-From the Visit Singapore Website-
Suagus were spotted too!
The cute lil Tiger balm girl..
Daddy and Ah qi with their sheep/goat.. HAha! they are both born in the year of the goat.. =)
Ah Qi with her love stone.. HAha! She wants to find her Prince Charming soon.. Some HK TVB stars? HAha.. Good luck k.... =P
Why is this here? Im not sure.. East meets West... HAha!We wanted to visit the Ten courts of hell attraction in the Park, but due to time constraints (daddy had to go back to the shop), we decided to come back on CNY again as a family.. Haha.. This was the only chargable attraction in the park. The fee was $1 per adult, and 50 cents for children.. Fair enough.. HAha! Well, for a relatively cheap fee of $1, I recokoned it wouldn’t be very exciting, maybe just some very well preserved and nicely painted statues and figurine replicates, compared to the ones outside (free for public).. A boat ride included inside? I duno.. hee!
Posed with the vintage tiger car near the entrance of the Ten Courts of Hell =)
I must say Im pretty impressed with the art work there.. Considering the fact that it’s pretty deserted now, with only a small private organization running this humungous park.. Daddy said that there’s only a park keeper taking care of this huge park at the moment, and he is the only guy who bothers to repaint some statues with fallen paint.. How wei da! But I must say, the contractors and painters of this park did a very good job! Very detailed and skillful painting.. which obviously requires a lot of hard work.. A lot of good paint and cement/concrete as well (it’s so vulnerable to weather conditions, daily wear and tear..) The fact that it is still so nicely maintained shows how durable they are.. Tho they are not nice now.. I can imagine how gorgeous this parked looked back then when it first started.. Thankfully, I still have the pictures (When I visited many years ago) with me… Amazing =) This place holds a lot of happy memories for me..
This is Tang San Zang with the Zhi zhu Jing's sisters?.. I duno.. But this is the Spider Cave.. HAha! Tsk Tsk.. How dare they seduce him... =P
Ah Qi's role models.. HAha! mine too............ hee!
Very Exquisite... Very nice..
You'll find weird things there.. Animals in human's bodies.. And humans in animal's bodies.. Folklore you see...
If you have a lazy day to spare, with no plans for the day, head down to Haw Par Villa if you happen to be around the vicinity (Pasir Panjang).. It is definitely worth the visit.. Do bring some towel/wet tissue.. hot leh! HAha.. Water some snacks to munch while admiring the statues and figurines.. Oh ya, Cameras too!
Parting Shot! Look at how pro Ah Qi is.. I'm demure ma... HAha! =P
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