Haw Par Villa - Diorama Statues
One long section of the park was reserved for the fascinating displays of dioramas featuring statues of Chinese mythological characters, everyday modern life, legends (such as the Journey To The West area), and situational settings that impart lessons in life like having a good education, having courage, and being responsible in life (the Virtues and Vices Tableau).
This is one of those dioramas of statues located near the Virtues and Vices Tableau area of the park. This is a hodgepodge of fantasy characters, warriors, legends, and deity statues clashing in one big battle scene. The details of the statues are remarkable, including the headgears and costumes each figure are garbed in. Though many of these figures are in dire need of maintenance and repair as most have chipping paints, faded colors, and some crumbling arms and legs.
A soldier falling down.
We go to the Virtues and Vices Tableau area. There are hundreds of meticulously crafted figurines of people illustrating the desirable virtues each person should strive to have along with situations where human vices become the downfall of people. Lessons can be learned from each scene, like wise use of time and money, debts and gambling ruins life, being a true loyal friend, and others.
Some of the expressions and actions of statues here are almost life-like, such as…
…fear (like this one, fear of being mugged by authority)…
…awareness and sense of danger (this one from an oncoming fist from an attacker)…
…and even a sneak attack (look out from behind you).
Here’s a fascinating, very, very thin statue of Buddha (far from the common statues depicting a healthy or a plump person).
Above picture is a part of a large sea tragedy scene of a sinking ship wherein a woman and a kid tries desperately to save a man (might be the woman’s husband and the kid’s father)…
…from being eaten alive by a hungry shark. Ouch.
This one is from the scene that imparts the lesson of being a loyal friend (the boy is being carried away by a white animal creature while his coward friend left him, scampered away, and climbed the nearest tree to save himself).
Next post: The Journey To The West section and rest of Haw Par Villa.
Tags: Chinese mythology, Haw Par Villa, legends, mythology, park, statues, Virtues and Vices Tableau
07.Apr.08 
Interesting Places
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Amazingly set of statues… very realistic. Must be scary for little kids!
Hi Sid, thanks again for dropping by. Some statues look really scary and enough to frighten and intimidate such minors (and might be also for some people out there). ;-)