One of the four Chinese classics, 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 that they would bring back to China. Their travels were fraught with dangers, one of which included an encounter with the spider spirits, which had Xuan Zang captured, as depicted in this exhibit. In his bid to educate the public about Chinese culture, Aw Boon Haw built a theme park housing sculptures that portrayed the theme of Chinese folklore and legend, such as Journey to the West. Originally called Tiger Balm Gardens, the villa was built in 1937 along Pasir Panjang Road.
