i was just wondering what happened to tiger balm gardens? i was there in 1967 & and 1968, and it was one of my most favorite place in hong kong. i did a search for it on the hong kong site, and it didn't show up. hong kong was was of my most favorite places ti visit in the orient, and i have nithing but good memories. if you answer this thank you very much.

-- james taylor (SBPABSTMAN@aol.com), February 15, 2000

Answers

The Tiger Palm Garden will be demolished soon. As you may know, the owner of this Garden was once in financial difficulties and have sold the Garden to the property developer. They will reconstruct the area and build some apartments for sale. The will also rebuild a small garden to 'replace' the old one. Very sad.

-- Alfred Lo (alfredlo@hkstar.com), November 02, 2000.

I visited the Tiger Balm Gardens in Hong Kong when I was 8 years old and was terrified by the tortures depicted in the Hell section. In fact, it so traumatized me that that's all I remember from the Garden.

It *is* shame that they will be torn down, only to be replaced by apartment buildings. I am almost hoping you are lying, even though I was so horrified by the content of the Gard

-- Christina Serveza (trinity@intrinziq.org), November 06, 2000.

perhaps a little off-topic -- but if you get nostalgic for the Tiger Balm Gardens you remember from Hong Kong in the 60s, you could visit the Tiger Balm Gardens/Haw Par Villa in Singapore. I was there in May 2000, and they still have their diorama of the Chinese concept of Hell.

-- Sal Mehra (salmehra@hotmail.com), January 23, 2001.

I can assure you that the tiger balm gardens still exist in all their grotesque glory as I visited them in both august 1999 and 2000. My brother in law lives very close to them and tells me he has heard no plans for their destruction. I also by chance seen the gardens featured in a 60's envirocops show called "million's will die" where Leslie Nielson of later Naked Gun fame did a scene in the gardens. I thought you might appreciate that bit of trivia.

-- martin montague (martinmonty71@hotmail.com), April 12, 2001.

It is very touching that so many people are still concerned about Tiger Balm Gardens, HK. I am a very interested party as it is actually part of my heritage. My grandfather and great grandfather are both buried there. (well, they both have monuments there) In fact, I just got an email from my sister who tried to visit yesterday. They have or are in the process of tearing down the "caves" and the land is being tested, I presume to investigate the composition of the land for building purposes. The saddest part is that we are not permitted even to "pay our respects" i.e. bow at the graves; although by law we no longer have any rights to access as the hieress of the legacy (my granDfather's sister) had recently become bankrupt and sold the remaining property to pay off debts.

I am hoping to find some support to preserve as much of the gardens as possible and certainly allow family to visit the graves.

If you have any ideas, please do feel free to contact me.

-- Joanna Tan (tanj@coudert.com / joanna_wy_tan@hotmail.com), May 29, 2001.

I grew up in Hong Kong in the 50's & 60's and Tiger Balm was a wonderful place to play. I took my kids there in '97 and they loved it ! I was exhausted chasing them ! I was there again in Sep 2000 and it was beautifully re-furbished and re-painted. I hope it is never torn down. I have many wonderful memoried there !

-- ARM (weegus@home.com), June 22, 2001.

I have been telling my wife and friends about the Gardens for many years. I was there in early 1954 as a crewman aboard the USS Saipan- CVL48 when we made Hong Cong a port-a-call. It would indeed be tragic if they were to be torn down for housing. Someplace in my collection of "What and when" photos I have some prints of Hong Cong and the Tigar Balm Garden.

H.A.R. 6/01

-- Harvey Rothbeind (har324@yahoo.com), June 27, 2001.

For those of you nostalgic for the gardens, I and Judith Brandel wrote and published (with the help of the Aw family) a book about the Tiger Balm Gardens. The book covers both the Hong Kong and Singapore gardens in text and pictures. We too are very sad about the impending destruction of the Hong Kong gardens. However, we recently received the good news that the developer does not plan to tear down the house. The Singapore gardens are also in danger now, again through neglect. For more information about our book and for pictures of both gardens, visit our website: www.tigerbalmgardens.com.

-- Tina Turbeville (info@tigerbalmgardens.com), August 30, 2001.

Dec. 18, 2001 -- Are Tiger Balm Gardens still there? I'd like to visit it next week -- possible? Also, how to get there from Causeway Bay station?

Thank you, from a newcomer to HK!

-- Shima (shimachk@hotmail.com), December 17, 2001.