If you’ve ever wished a historic mansion could do more than sit behind locked gates, Tai Hang’s Villa Haw Par is preparing to answer. Once the private residence of Tiger Balm magnate Aw Boon Haw, the Grade One heritage site is entering a new phase as Hong Kong’s first cultural villa.
Led by the Foundation for Art and Culture – chaired by Arthur de Villepin – the non-profit, self-financing project will reopen the site to the public through exhibitions, artist residencies, and public programmes that connect the city’s history with a wider global arts conversation.
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A New Life For A Hong Kong Icon
Haw Par Mansion holds a distinctive place in the city’s story. More than a preserved heritage building, it stands as one of the last tangible links to the Tiger Balm empire and the fabled Tiger Balm Garden that once mesmerised generations of visitors.
Now, under the custodianship of the Foundation for Art and Culture, the Grade One building is being reconceived as Villa Haw Par. Rather than a static monument, the project aims to give the site a renewed purpose as a living cultural platform.
Chaired by Arthur de Villepin, the Foundation has been entrusted by the government to run the site as a non-profit, self-financing entity – a rare instance of a historic site reopening with a clear cultural mission aimed squarely at the future.
The Cultural Villa Concept
Villa Haw Par isn’t conceived as a traditional museum. Instead, the vision is for an active space where exhibitions, artist residencies, cultural exchange programmes, and public events coexist within a historic setting.
The experience begins outdoors. Visitors will enter through a ‘Garden of Wonders,’ where restored historic sculptures are placed in dialogue with works by living artists, set within a landscape that honours the original Tiger Balm Garden.
Inside, the mansion itself becomes part of the storytelling. Projection-mapped installations bring the history of the site to life, while galleries and event spaces host a rotating programme of exhibitions and cultural activities.
As the project grows, visitors can expect a library, cinema suite, rooftop terrace, café, gift shop, bookstore, and other public amenities designed to reward repeat exploration – not a single stop.
More Than A Restoration
What sets Villa Haw Par apart is that it reaches beyond mere conservation. In many cities, heritage projects stop at structural upkeep, leaving buildings detached from the present day. Villa Haw Par is charting a different course. The ambition isn’t simply to restore the mansion, but to build a place that remains in active dialogue with Hong Kong’s cultural life.
By weaving the historic fabric into a programme of living art and public engagement, the project aims to establish the mansion as both a platform for local creatives and a destination with genuine international draw.
The transformation will roll out in phases beginning from the end of 2026, with progressive openings expected before the site becomes fully operational between 2027 and 2028. If successful, Villa Haw Par could become one of Hong Kong’s most resonant examples of how historic buildings can be brought back into public life. Rather than standing as a monument to what once was, the mansion may soon become a place where the city’s past and future meet in entirely new ways.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji has combined her degree in anthropology and creative writing with her passion for going on unsolicited tangents as an editor at Friday Club. In between watching an endless amount of movies, she enjoys trying new cocktails and pastas while occasionally snapping a few pictures.
