Tiger Balm Garden (Hong Kong)
Encyclopedia
Tiger Balm Garden also called Aw Boon Haw Garden, was located at 15, Tai Hang Road
, Tai Hang
, Wan Chai District
, Hong Kong
. The garden was adjoining the Haw Par Mansion and its private garden. The Tiger Balm Garden was demolished for redevelopment in 2004. The Haw Par Mansion and its private garden have been preserved.
and his family in 1935. Opened to the public in the early 1950s, it was one of the first theme parks in Hong Kong. In 1985, the garden was converted into the "Haw Par Villa" amusement park. Many of the sculptures were replaced by rides at that time, and were later replaced again by the old statues.
In 1998 the heir to the property, Sally Aw Sian, sold the entire Garden complex to the land development company Cheung Kong for redevelopment. The Hong Kong Government reached an agreement with Cheung Kong that, as part of the redevelopment, the Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office
(AMO) was to preserve and restore the Haw Par Mansion itself together with its private garden as a museum.
When the Tiger Balm Garden was demolished for redevelopment in 2004, many of the garden's murals and statues were salvaged by the AMO. The site of the Garden is now occupied by the residential development The Legend at Jardine's Lookout. Occupancy of the residence started in the first quarter of 2007.
The 3-storey Haw Par Mansion was the Aw family's residence in Hong Kong.
It was built in 1935 in the Chinese Renaissance style. There are more than 500 relics in the Mansion; they underwent restoration and repair. The building became a Grade II historic building in 2000 and was granted Grade I status on December 18, 2009.
) and in Fujian
province, where the gardens remain.
video game Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers for character Fei Long as a fight stage.
Tai Hang Road
Tai Hang Road is a major road on the north side of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. Starting low from Tai Hang at Tung Lo Wan Road, Causeway Bay, it winds up to So Kon Po and further up to the mid-levels of Jardine's Lookout and Mount Nicholson, passing through Wong Nai Chung Gap...
, Tai Hang
Tai Hang
Tai Hang is an area southeast of Causeway Bay located in the mid-north of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The area is mainly residential.-Geography:...
, Wan Chai District
Wan Chai District
The Wan Chai District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong, located in the north of Hong Kong island. It had a population of 167,146 in 2001. The district has the second most educated residents with the highest income, the second lowest population and the third oldest residents, and is also the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The garden was adjoining the Haw Par Mansion and its private garden. The Tiger Balm Garden was demolished for redevelopment in 2004. The Haw Par Mansion and its private garden have been preserved.
History
The landscaped garden was built at a cost of HK$16 million by Aw Boon HawAw Boon Haw
Aw Boon Haw, OBE was a Burmese Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for introducing Tiger Balm. He was the son of Hakka herbalist Aw Chu Kin, with his ancestral home in Yongding County, Fujian Province, China.-Biography:-Business:...
and his family in 1935. Opened to the public in the early 1950s, it was one of the first theme parks in Hong Kong. In 1985, the garden was converted into the "Haw Par Villa" amusement park. Many of the sculptures were replaced by rides at that time, and were later replaced again by the old statues.
In 1998 the heir to the property, Sally Aw Sian, sold the entire Garden complex to the land development company Cheung Kong for redevelopment. The Hong Kong Government reached an agreement with Cheung Kong that, as part of the redevelopment, the Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office
Antiquities and Monuments Office
Antiquities and Monuments Office was established when the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance was enacted in 1976, to preserve Hong Kong's monuments under appropriate protection....
(AMO) was to preserve and restore the Haw Par Mansion itself together with its private garden as a museum.
When the Tiger Balm Garden was demolished for redevelopment in 2004, many of the garden's murals and statues were salvaged by the AMO. The site of the Garden is now occupied by the residential development The Legend at Jardine's Lookout. Occupancy of the residence started in the first quarter of 2007.
Features
The original gardens covered eight acres (3.2 hectares). A 7-storey Tiger Pagoda was the highlight of the garden. Other tourist attractions included artificial Chinese landscaping dotted with sculptures.Haw Par Mansion
It was built in 1935 in the Chinese Renaissance style. There are more than 500 relics in the Mansion; they underwent restoration and repair. The building became a Grade II historic building in 2000 and was granted Grade I status on December 18, 2009.
Other gardens
The Hong Kong Haw Par Mansion and its formerly adjoining Tiger Balm Garden were one of three Tiger Balm mansions and gardens. The others are located in Singapore (now the Haw Par VillaHaw Par Villa
Haw Par Villa is a Chinese mythological theme park in Singapore, located along Pasir Panjang Road.The park contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese folklore, legends, history and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism...
) and in Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province, where the gardens remain.
Street Fighter/Fei Long
The garden has been depicted in the 1993 CapcomCapcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
video game Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers for character Fei Long as a fight stage.
External links
- Webpage with pictures of Haw Par Mansion
- Videos of Tiger Balm Garden: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOfc_m0BncM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HQ-yzKEmsk
- HK Government press release: "Haw Par Mansion to hold open days", October 21, 2010
- HK Government press release: "Invitation of tenders for conservation and revitalisation of Haw Par Mansion", January 28, 2011
- Plan showing the location of Haw Par Mansion, February 2004
- Picture of Haw Par Mansion
- The Role of an Estate Surveyor in Preserving Heritage - Haw Par Mansion, Tai Hang
- Tender invitation for the revitalisation of the Haw Par Mansion