Abstract: Aw Boon Haw,theTigerBalmKing,constructed a few villas in Singapore and Hong Kong successively during the first half of the twentieth century. These villas served both cultural and commercial purposes. By reviewing his Haw Par Villas, Tiger Balm Gardens, his eldest son’s wedding ceremony and his birthday celebration, I argue that through these “symbolic consumptions,” Aw had converted his private residences into public spaces for his self-promotion and brand publicity; while shaping the modern cultural landscapes of China and Southeast Asia.

Key words: Aw Boon Haw; Haw Par Villas; Tiger Balm Gardens; symbolic consumption.

Sin Yee Theng, with ancestry of Guangning County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province, is a Malaysian citizen. She received her BA from Department of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University and MA and Ph. D. from Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore.