Theme parks typically attempt to take their guests on a trip into a fantasy world. Often, that means a realm of fairytales and castles. Elsewhere, it might mean meeting cowboys or stepping onto the set of a Hollywood movie.
Sometimes, though, it means being dragged directly into the underworld.
Yes, the brief appearance of “hell” at the end of Disneyland’s Mr Toad’s Wild Ride isn’t the only instance of satan and his minions being let loose on theme park guests. And unlike Disney’s lightweight portrayal of the the afterlife that we all want to avoid, some theme parks in Asia have an altogether more brutal approach.
Looking for a reason to stop sinning and set yourself on a path towards heaven? Visit one of these three astonishingly grim theme parks at the earliest opportunity…
1. Haw Par Villa (Singapore)
Haw Par Villa is home to more than 1,000 statues and 150 enormous dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology and folklore. Also known as Tiger Balm Gardens, it was taken over by the Singapore Tourism Board in 1988 after years of failing to turn a profit. Given the way that it deals with its subject matter, its lack of commercial success may not be a huge surprise.
The signature attraction at Haw Par Villa is not a roller coaster – in fact, rides were briefly introduced in 1985 but soon phased out in favor of more dioramas. Instead, the headliner is the Ten Courts of Hell, which features shockingly gruesome depictions of hell as envisioned in Chinese mythology and Buddhism. This was once set inside a 60-metre long dragon tail, but sadly it now lies within relatively bland grey stone walls. But its contents are anything but bland.
The attraction consists of nothing else but statues of people being horrifically tortured and murdered, with blood being sprayed liberally all over the place.
Fancy a trip to hell, Haw Par Villa-style? You won’t have to pay – entry to the park is (mercifully) free.
2. Suแปi Tiรชn Cultural Amusement Park (Hแป Chรญ Minh City, Vietnam)
In contrast to Haw Par Villa, Suแปi Tiรชn Cultural Amusement Park does feature elements that you’d expect to see at a theme park. This includes an impressive selection of roller coasters and water rides, along with a zoo hosting more than 1,500 crocodiles. However, it also doubles as a Buddhist religious exhibition – and that means a chance to find out what will happen to you if you stray from the path of righteousness.
One of the park’s headline attractions is Unicorn Palace. The name conjures up all sorts of wonderful images of a Disney-style castle populated with friendly mythical creatures. The reality couldn’t be more different.
It all starts innocently enough. Guests board inflatable rafts, which emerge into a colorful jungle complete with miniature volcanoes and chattering apes. An It’s a Small World-style cheerful tune plays as the boat drifts pasts tableaux of cavemen, Chinese warriors and finally into the modern age.
Then the screaming begins.
Yes, Unicorn Palace is actually a boat ride through the five stages of being – life, death, reincarnation, hell and nirvana. It’s the hell part that really stands out, though – with the Small World-like puppets being brutally tortured in all manner of inventive ways.
3. Wang Saen Suk Monastery (Thailand)
Perhaps we should expect a theme park at a monastery to be a little bit out of the ordinary. And the Wang Saen Suk Monastery doesn’t disappoint, with its cheerfully-named “Hell Garden”.
Of course, there is real religious substance behind the attraction. Naraka, usually translated as “hell” or “purgatory”, is the name given to the world that people go to when they die, to pay their respects to Phya Yom (the death king). Four celestial beings check through their life, looking for good and bad beeds. The good deeds are recorded on a gold plate, while the bad ones are recorded on a piece of dog skin.
If you’ve done good, you can look forward to going straight to heaven. If you’ve done bad, you can look forward to this:
There are a number of similar hell gardens in Thailand. Bring a picnic.
