Haw Par Villa and Orchard

Last Thursday I and Hallvard decided to take a break from the studies so we decided to go sightseeing here in Singapore. Our first stop in the heat and high humidity was Haw Par Villa, a closed down amusement park that is kept as a park/museum. What makes Haw Par Villa special today is it's numerous statues and the slightly grotesque nature of several of them.

Most of the more unsettling statues we found early in when we walked through the so called "Ten Gates of Hell" where people where judged and punished (if necessary) at the end of their lives, of course the righteous and good did not get punished but the focus was on the sinners who had to pass through the different Gates of Hell depending on their crimes and sins.

The focus was mainly on dismembering or disemboweling the sinners in different ways, below is one example of the punishments.

At the end of their torture they would drink a tea which would make them forget their past lives and let them be reborn in ignorant bliss.

But Stare-goat knows that there are less frightening statues as well!

All photos taken in a professional photographer stance of course!

After Haw Par Villa we went in to Orchard Road, Singapores no. 1 shopping district. Orchard Road is supposed to have a really amazing Christmas lights, unfortunately we where there during the day so we never really got to experience them.

In the evening we went for a Norwegian/Swedish Christmas-smorgasbord that ANSA (Association for Norwegian Students Abroad) in Singapore had arranged. Don't have any pictures from the evening, but it was a really nice evening with both good company and good food!

Live long and prosper!