Haw Par Music

The former Haw Par Mansion and its private garden was awarded Grade 1 historical building status in 2009, confirming its invaluable heritage, social and cultural significance in Hong Kong.

Completed in 1936, the Mansion took its name from the names of two brothers, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, whose family originated from Fujian Province, China, and migrated to Rangoon, Burma in 1860s. The brothers inherited their father’s herbal shop business, perfected the formula and production of Tiger Balm, a camphor and menthol-based ointment for the relief of body pain and inflammation, which has become well-known across South East Asia from the early 20th century. The brothers also expanded their business in the region by establishing a series of Chinese newspaper to promote Chinese culture. Aw Boon haw and his second wife, Tan Kyi Kyi were so fascinated by the city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere that they decided to build the Mansion as their residence in Hong Kong, accompanied by the adjacent Tiger Balm Garden, which was designed to promote traditional Chinese values.

Haw Par Mansion and its private garden was built in Chinese Eclectic style with Western construction methods of the time and traditional characteristic of Chinese architecture, reflecting the multicultural background of the Aw family.

Tiger Balm Garden, with its sculptures, murals, and other works dedicated to Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese mythologies, illustrated Aw Boon Haw’s enthusiasm in promoting moral values and virtues through traditional Chinese culture and philosophy. Tiger Balm Garden, as one of the first leisure facilities for the Chinese population in Hong Kong which was open to public for free, became immensely popular from its early days until its closure in 2001 and demolition in 2004.

Haw Par Mansion and its private garden is now under the ownership of the HKSAR Government and has been revitalised, as one of the projects of Batch III of the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme, in partnership with Haw Par Music Foundation Limited, into Haw Par Music as a platform for cross-cultural exchange with a focus on music education and has been re-opened for public enjoyment since April 2019.

Haw Par Music welcomes casual drop-in visits and offers regular guiding tours to the public. In addition, Haw Par Music has also launched an official app recently to enrich visitors experience by showing the charm of its architecture, history and philosophy.

Visitors can use the three routes which have been specially planned on the app to enhance the appreciation of architectural aesthetics, historical values and the hidden philosophical thinking of Har Paw Music in multipronged dimensions.

Apart from the guiding route, interaction with visitor is one the key features of the app. By offering multifaceted interactive games, visitors are encouraged to enjoy a more immersive visiting experience enabling them to have in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the place.

In addition, the former Tiger Balm Garden, though now demolished, was renowned for providing precious collective memories to generations of Hong Kong people. In order to encourage visitors to preserve, extend and share these nostalgic moments, visitors are invited to upload their pictures taken in Haw Par Mansion and Tiger Balm Garden in the past on to the designated area ‘Collective Memory’ on the app.