Deep within the bizarre landscape of Haw Par Villa, the Workers of the Netherworld Statue awaits. This isn’t your typical Singaporean attraction. It’s a glimpse into a world of Chinese mythology and beliefs about the afterlife, specifically the Ten Courts of Hell. Haw Par Villa, originally Tiger Balm Gardens, opened in 1937. It was the brainchild of Aw Boon Haw, one of the brothers behind the famous Tiger Balm ointment. He intended the park to be a showcase of Chinese values and folklore. The Workers of the Netherworld Statue is part of this larger, sometimes unsettling, tableau. It depicts the gruesome punishments awaiting sinners in the underworld. These scenes are not for the faint of heart. They include depictions of sinners being impaled, sawn in half, and even mashed in a mortar. These vivid depictions offer a unique, albeit macabre, window into Chinese beliefs about the afterlife. The park itself has had a tumultuous history, facing various attempts at commercialization and reinvention. Yet, through it all, the Workers of the Netherworld Statue, along with the other statues and dioramas, remain a testament to Aw Boon Haw’s original vision. It’s a strange, sometimes disturbing, but ultimately unforgettable experience. Haw Par Villa, and the Workers of the Netherworld within it, continues to fascinate and bewilder visitors to this day. It offers a unique blend of cultural education and bizarre entertainment that sets it apart from any other attraction in Singapore.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to