The pond that had expanded to reach the Pavilion was originally a dry, imaginary aquarium filled with aquatic sculptures such as lobsters, crayfish and walruses. Located next to the Pavilion is the Pagoda, with a statue of the Buddha seated on top of it. Both the Pavilion and the Pagoda are linked by connecting bridges. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, Haw Par Villa was built on Pasir Panjang Road in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who set up an entertainment and educational park on the site, erecting statues and tableaux portraying anecdotes from Chinese legends and folklore. Aw’s name became synonymous with Tiger Balm, the renowned analgesic ointment that he and his younger brother, Aw Boon Par, successfully marketed in Singapore and around the Southeast Asian region. Years later, in 1979, the family later sold Haw Par Villa to the Singapore Tourism Board.
