Looking down from a height, the contours of the pond are in the shape of the ancient calligraphic character for ‘Aw’, the surname of the owner of Haw Par Villa. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, the gardens were built in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who was also synonymous with Tiger Balm, the renowned ointment that was successfully marketed in Singapore and around the region.
