Traditionally, Chinese medicine makers peddled their wares with a martial arts display, attracting the crowd with banging gongs and eye-catching swordplay as illustrated in this postcard. Promoting medicinal products was nothing new to Aw Boon Haw, the founder of Haw Par Villa, and his younger brother, Boon Par. The brothers had established their fortune by successfully marketing their Tiger Balm remedies, albeit in a less traditional manner, drumming up fanfare with attractive billboards, advertising trucks and cars instead. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, Haw Par Villa was built on Pasir Panjang Road by Aw Boon Haw in 1937 with the intention of educating the public about Chinese culture.
