Singapore Tourism Board appoints new operator to revitalise Haw Par Villa

The Singapore Tourism Board has appointed local operator Journeys to run the Haw Par Villa – once one of the city’s top visitor attractions.

Nearly 80 years after it was built, the former Tiger Balm Gardens, has been eclipsed by Singapore’s newer attractions in recent years. However, Journeys plan to upgrade the attraction adding new dining experiences and a museum based on successful Asian businesses.

Focussing on Chinese folklore and mythology, the attraction was well known for its exhibit on the 10 courts of hell, which depicted punishments such as being thrown into a volcanic pit and tongue slitting for crimes like lying, cheating or being disrespectful to elders. Elsewhere in the park, many sculptures showed the importance of good morals.

In Haw Par Villa's heyday, it is said to have drawn at least a million visitors a year. But the numbers fell and now, only an estimated 200,000 people visit it each year.

Looking forward to the redevelopment, Journeys' Executive Director Jeya Ayadurai told Channel NewsAsia "it is an amazingly rich heritage site and I think we have an opportunity to market it to the world - to people who are interested in Singapore, not only in terms of its modernity, but in terms of its depth and history."

To attract visitors, Journeys plans to introduce new attractions to the park, including the Rise of Asia Museum, which will tell the stories of successful Asian family businesses through artefacts, old photographs and multimedia storyboards.

Ayadurai added “there's going to be fine dining, restaurants that will draw people in with music and there will also be a new museum that we are creating called ROAM, or Rise of Asia Museum. It’s going to tell the story of not only the famous Tiger Balm brand, but also that of other Asian families in Asia that have risen to great success, like Tata and Samsung."

Journeys will tie up with tertiary institutions and art schools to include Haw Par Villa as modules in their programs.

Ayadurai concluded “what I’m really excited about next year would be school programmes and getting primary and secondary school kids to come out here and discover the beautiful sculptures, the values they share, the history behind them."

Haw Par Villa’s sister park in Hong Kong was demolished in 1998. 

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Images: Haw Paw Villa (top) and one of its punishment exhibits (below).

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