2020 may be the year we lost Halloween Horror Nights, but it’s also the time where Singaporeans get to discover creepy places in our little red dot.
The elusive Haw Par Beach Villa on Coney Island is one of them.
An MS News reader, who is an avid hiker, shared pictures of the forgotten villa, which can be reached by an unpaved path somewhere within the island.
According to Expat Choice, the villa was completed 83 years ago in 1937.
It was speculated that the buildings were designed by Ho Kwang Yew, a famous architect during the ’30s.
The main building has an area of 600 sq m and came complete with a sprawling main hall and open veranda.
However, during the Japanese occupation, the remaining villa of the Aw Family was left ruined in the thick mangroves.
Now, the compound can only be reached by an unmarked path that branches off from the usual hiking trails.
The MS News reader warned that the journey to the villa was peppered with thorny foliage and mosquitos.
Furthermore, GPS readings were rather funky in the mangroves.
Upon entering the villa, one can see that it was once a magnificent property.
We could imagine the vast main hall hosting guests for dinner parties.
Delving further into the compound, one will notice that its previous owners did not leave much behind.
The place looks rather bare as furnishings and ornaments have been stripped from the building.
Unfortunately, the villa has eroded with time. Ferns and other shrubs grow wild on window ledges and the open veranda.
We can’t help but be reminded of haunting sights seen in the long abandoned town of Chernobyl.
The MS News reader captured evidence of campers who have stayed the night at the villa, perhaps as part of a dare.
Some graffiti scrawled on the walls date back to 54 years ago.
Image courtesy of MS News reader
Sadly, the villa has probably seen better days during a time long past.
According to the MS News reader, those interested in seeing the villa must be prepared for an arduous journey in some pretty thick mud.
That being said, we are surprised that no one has restored Haw Par Villa. After all it’s steeped in Singapore’s rich history, going back to before our independence.
Perhaps one day, someone will claim it as their own. But until then, we’ll just have to admire the forgotten villa through rare photos like these.
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Featured images by MS News.
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