Spanning the main driveway, this gateway, called 'Beautiful Jade' as the characters on the central transom indicate, was designed with an eclectic mix of classical Chinese and Art Deco designs. The top arch is distinctly Art Deco in character, while the rest of the details on the structure are traditionally styled. Haw Par Villa was originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, and was built on Pasir Panjang Road in 1937 by Aw Boon Haw with the aim of educating the public about Chinese culture. Two other Tiger Balm Gardens were built, one in Hong Kong, the other in the Fujian province of China. A prominent businessman and philanthropist, Aw was also synonymous with Tiger Balm, the renowned product that he and his younger brother, Aw Boon Par, successfully marketed in Singapore and around the region. The family later sold Haw Par Villa to the Singapore Tourism Board in 1979.
