If you are ever asked to name your top five Chinese mythological sculpture gardens, Haw Par Villa in Singapore definitely deserves a mention.
Constructed in 1937, the park features some 1,000 statues and 150 concrete tableaux. These depict various legends and Confucian teachings, although the significance of the crab with a woman’s face is far from clear.
In fact, the balloon-headed tiger girl, rifle-toting monkeys and miniature Statue of Liberty also raise a few questions, as does the scene of domestic abuse between a chicken husband and wife.
The star attraction, however, is the adult-rated Ten Courts of Hell. Dioramas show the horrific fates that await anyone found guilty of gossiping, stealing, breaking promises or worse. Clay figures have never looked so frightened.
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