After three years of closure, Hong Kong’s historic Haw Par Mansion is set to reopen as a cultural landmark. Built by Tiger Balm founder Aw Boon Haw, the mansion reflects a unique blend of history, architecture and collective memory.
In Hong Kong’s Tai Hang district, Haw Par Mansion sits on a hillside overlooking the city. After being closed for three years, Haw Par Mansion — built by the co-founder of Tiger Balm — is set to reopen later this year.
For many Hong Kong residents, however, the site is more than a heritage building. It is also a place tied to childhood memories, local history and one of Asia’s most famous family businesses.
From Tiger Balm to a Business Empire
The story of Haw Par Mansion begins with Aw Boon Haw, better known internationally as the co-founder of Tiger Balm.
Born in Yangon, Myanmar, Aw came from a family originally rooted in Yongding, Fujian Province, in southeastern China. After his father’s death, he and his younger brother, Aw Boon Par, took over the family medicine business. The brothers improved a medicated ointment and introduced it to wider markets. It later became the Tiger Balm brand known around the world today.
As the business expanded, the Aw family built a commercial network that stretched across Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Singapore, Malaya, Thailand and Hong Kong. Beyond medicine, Aw Boon Haw also invested in newspapers. He founded several Chinese-language publications and launched the Hong Kong edition of the Sing Tao Daily in 1938.
In 1933, he chose Tai Hang as the site for a new residence. Construction took three years and cost about HK$16 million, a remarkable sum at the time. The mansion formed part of the larger Tiger Balm Garden, a public attraction named after the last syllables of the brothers’ names: “Haw” and “Par”.
The brothers shared a close relationship and often used the words “Haw” and “Par” in their business ventures. At the same time, Aw Boon Haw saw the garden as more than a private estate. By opening it to the public, he promoted the family brand while showcasing the reach of a business empire that extended across the Chinese diaspora.
A Mansion Shaped by Many Cultures
Among the three Haw Par Mansions built by the family, the Hong Kong residence best reflects Aw Boon Haw’s multicultural background.
He personally supervised its construction. As a result, the design combines Chinese architectural features such as sweeping rooflines, glazed tiles and moon gates with Western elements including columned entrances and Palladian-style staircases.
Inside, stained glass windows from Italy stand alongside traditional Chinese decorative motifs. Fireplaces, gilded details and carved reliefs share space with artistic influences from Myanmar and South Asia. The garden also blended different traditions. Its layout drew inspiration from European formal gardens, yet pavilions, bridges and corner towers added a distinctly Chinese character.
One of its most striking landmarks was the seven-storey white Tiger Pagoda, which rose 44 metres above the site. At the time, it was the only Chinese-style pagoda in Hong Kong.
Rather than presenting a single architectural style, the mansion reflects the life experience of a businessman whose journey connected China, Southeast Asia and colonial Hong Kong. That mixture has long divided opinion. Some admire its creativity and individuality, while others find the combination unusual. Nevertheless, it remains one of Hong Kong’s most distinctive historic buildings.
From Childhood Memory to Cultural Space
For many people, the neighbouring Tiger Balm Garden left an even deeper impression than the mansion itself.
The garden opened free of charge and became a popular destination for generations of families. Visitors wandered among sculptures, pavilions and scenes inspired by Chinese legends and folk traditions. One of the most famous attractions depicted the Ten Courts of Hell, illustrating rewards and punishments in the afterlife. The vivid displays fascinated some visitors and frightened others.
As a result, the garden became a memorable part of growing up in Hong Kong. Long before modern theme parks arrived, many residents viewed it as a unique place for recreation and cultural learning.
The site changed dramatically after Aw Boon Haw died in 1954. Over the following decades, rising land values and urban development transformed the area. In 2004, most of Tiger Balm Garden was demolished for redevelopment, and many of its best-known features disappeared.
The mansion itself survived. In 2009, Hong Kong granted it Grade I historic building status, ensuring its preservation.
Since then, several revitalisation projects have taken place. In 2019, the building reopened as a venue for music education and cultural activities. That programme ended in late 2022, and the mansion closed once again.
Now it is entering a new chapter.
Under the latest plan, Haw Par Mansion will gradually open its gardens, reading spaces, artist studios, screening venues and café to the public. It will also work with international partners on artist residency programmes and cultural exchanges.
When visitors return later this year, they will find more than a restored historic residence. They will encounter a place where business history, architecture, popular culture and collective memory continue to meet.
If you liked this article, why not read: Discover Tai Kwun: Hong Kong’s Historic Heartbeat
