Hell and its makeovers
From a citizen community to a lonely old artisan, why generations of people refuse to give up on Haw Par Villa
Add BT as a preferred source
Claudia Chong
JEYA Ayadurai loved everything about history – he’d even defied his mother for it – but this was proving to be one of the biggest challenges he had ever taken on.
Was it even possible for Haw Par Villa, Singapore’s most bizarre theme park, to once again see success that matched its glory days? Ayadurai and his team of heritage devotees must have believed so, or they wouldn’t have paid the government for a shot at revamping the place.
Haw Par Villa’s 85-year history is littered with drama and triumphs and failures. It had everything going for it in the 1950s and 60s. No television. No air-conditioned shopping malls. A population craving entertainment and willing to travel for it.
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
