One of the four Chinese classical novels, Journey to the West tells the adventures of the monk, Xuan Zang, and his three disciples in their journey to India as they tried to procure the Buddhist scriptures. Their travels were fraught with dangers, some of which involved the spider spirits. As shown in this exhibit, the spirits transformed themselves into beautiful maidens, hoping to entice Xuan Zang and his disciples in a bid to derail their plans. With the goal of educating the public about Chinese culture in mind, Aw Boon Haw had built a theme park housing sculptures that portrayed the themes of Chinese folklore and legend, such as Journey to the West. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, the garden was built in 1937 along Pasir Panjang Road.
