“If you steal, you'll be frozen into blocks of ice," the woman says. "Lie, and your tongue will be cut. And -- this is very important -- if you cheat in an examination, you'll have your organs and intestines pulled out.” “So if I change immediately, can I go to heaven instead?” asked the seven-year-old girl. The source of this heart-warming exchange? A mother reading out exhibit captions to her daughter in the Ten Courts of Hell at Haw Par Villa, a Chinese mythology theme park in Singapore. Built in 1937 by Burmese-Chinese brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par -- best known for introducing the pain-relieving ointment Tiger Balm to the world -- the park has more than 1,000 statues and dioramas vividly depicting Chinese folk tales, myths and Confucian beliefs. Ten Courts of Hell A sign at the entrance to Haw Par Villa's "10 Courts of Hell" warns that the exhibit -- intended to educate the public on ethics and morality -- contains graphic images so parental guidance is recommended.

The Wheel of Reincarnation

In the Tenth Court of Hell, people are cast on to the Wheel of Reincarnation. They'll be reborn as a human or an animal, depending on their previous deeds -- or misdeeds.

Microcosm of Haw Par

Apart from the more famous Ten Courts of Hell, Haw Par Villa has many less brutal dioramas, based on myth, folklore and daily life. This garish display contains a dozen mini dioramas.