Everything tagged "Aw Boon Haw" | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Everything tagged "Aw Boon Haw"

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Tiger Balm Garden, birds -2.jpg

Submitted by Lai Wah Dewson on Wed, 2020-12-30 06:02
Date picture taken (to nearest decade for older photos): 
1957

Many of the garden's sculptures feature animals and birds - some of them fun and carefree, others quite menacing.

Tiger Balm Garden, Tiger Pagoda.jpg

Submitted by Lai Wah Dewson on Wed, 2020-12-30 05:40
Date picture taken (to nearest decade for older photos): 
1957

The beautiful, ornamental Tiger Pagoda doesn't look its usual marble white in the fading light of this photo.

Tiger Balm Garden, entrance.jpg

Submitted by Lai Wah Dewson on Wed, 2020-12-30 05:40
Date picture taken (to nearest decade for older photos): 
1957

When I was growing up, my mum used Tiger Balm ointment as a 'cure-all' for everything from tummy ache, to headaches, to sprained ankles!

The ointment was created by brothers Aw Boon Par and Aw Boon Haw from their father's recipe. When the latter built Har Paw Mansion as his family's residence, he created an adjoining private landscaped garden. This was subsequently opened to the public as Tiger Balm Garden and which served to promote the brand that became a household name in Hong Kong.

Tiger Balm Garden, dragon colours.jpg

Submitted by Lai Wah Dewson on Wed, 2020-12-30 03:52
Date picture taken (to nearest decade for older photos): 
1957

Birds feature strongly in Chinese folklore as a symbol of freedom because they can roam the earth, swim in the sea and soar into the sky - often seen as a link between heaven and earth.

Dragons, meanwhile, have different meanings attached to their colour.

Many people associate the black dragon with vengeance. Thus, it’s often linked to catastrophes like storms and floods.

The white dragon symbolizes purity, just like in the West. However, people sometimes also associate it with death and mourning and see it as a bad omen.

Tiger Balm Garden, tiger.jpg

Submitted by Lai Wah Dewson on Wed, 2020-12-30 03:22
Date picture taken (to nearest decade for older photos): 
1957

In Chinese culture, the tiger is considered the king of beasts (not the lion) and represents bravery and strength. Its imagery has been used as a talisman for soldiers, signifying the animal’s importance as a leader.

The tiger is also associated with Tsai Shen Yeh, the Chinese God of Wealth, and this god is usually seen sitting on a tiger in Asian art.

When Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par chose to brand their famous balm with a tiger, they chose a symbol that represented power, energy, royalty and protection. One that, in business, is synonymous with achievement and success.

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