Note: The parks are closed permanently. This website is for documentation and educational purposes only.
Disclaimer: We do not own any information found on this site. All credits to their original owners.
T H R E E
"Worlds"
The singapore legacy.
G R E A T W O R L D
THINGS TO do and see
ENTRANCE FEEs
Before entering Great World Amusement Park, visitors would have to pay an entrance fee of 20 cents. [1]
A separate fee would be charged for entertainment programmes should visitors wish to partake any of the activities available inside the park.
“Great World Amusement Park tickets,” Carousell, accessed November 12, 2020,
The first Talkies were produced in the mid 1920s, and they were basically replacements of silent films that dominated the era. In news articles of that time, films were often referred to as “Talkies” and cinemas were referred to as “Talkie Theatres”. In 1932, Great World Amusement Park had the Great World Talkie Theatre, and it was very well received by the crowds who were largely unfamiliar with talking and singing films [2]. The talkie tickets were priced at 5, 10 or 20 cents depending on the programme, and programmes were usually changed twice a week [3]. The talkies to be screened were often advertised on the advertisement columns of newspapers [4].
In December 1942, following the reopening of the Great World Amusement Park by the Japanese Administration, the Globe and Sky theatres were reopened [5]. The theatres showed mainly war films of the Japanese victory in the pacific, and Japanese films to encourage the “Japanese way of life”[6].
After the Japanese Occupation, in September 1945, the theatres of the Great World Amusement Park were reopened to civilians [7]. The theatres that reopened included the Sky, Globe, Atlantic and Canton theatres [8]. Movie tickets remained at the affordable price of 20 cents per ticket [9].
In 1958, at the movie premiere of “Around the World in 80 Days”, at the Sky Theatre, Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor graced the event with her husband Mike Todd and drew in large crowds. It remains until today, the most significant event that happened on the grounds of the park [10].
Pictures:
(Top)"The Globe Centre at Great World Amusement Park," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 10, 2020.
(Bottom) "Sky Cinema at Great World Amusement Park, "National Archives Singapore, accessed November 10, 2020.
JoyRides
What is an amusement park without fun rides and game stalls? The Great World Amusement Park was home to many of such attractions, including the Merry-go-round, Ferris Wheel, Scooters; Tricycle and Motor Car Rides, Dodgem Cars, Lucky Dip; Fishing Pond, Pony Rides, Magic Shows [11]. There were also the Ghost Train Rides that were widely popular among people of all ages. The rides usually cost 20 or 30 cents and were considered rather affordable [12]. During certain funfairs, some of these amusement rides were even free of charge for all who paid for the entrance fee to the funfair.
Picture:
"Fun Fair at Great World Park," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 10, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/b329ff49-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad.
Video:
Taken from “It’s A Great Great World,” Youtube, accessed November 12, 2020, 0:52- 2:14, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kb5qlAkN5s&ab_channel=GreatWorld2011.
The Flamingo Nite-Club in the great world was once the highlight of the park. With its seating capacity of 630, and an electronically controlled moving stage, the cabaret was the place to be for the rich and those seeking a great time. Even after the amusement park closed in 1964, the cabaret still drew in large crowds and operated until the park was sold in 1978. The cabaret was a buzzing business with 80 staff and 200 dance hostesses working there at its closing in 1978 [13].
Picture:
“Flamingo Night Club & Restaurant (紅鶴夜總會),” graphic.sg, accessed November 12, 2020, https://graphic.sg/gallery/flamingo-night-club-restaurant-matchbox.
Video:
Taken from “It’s A Great Great World,” Youtube, accessed November 12, 2020, 0:23-0:26, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kb5qlAkN5s&ab_channel=GreatWorld2011.
Chinese Opera (also known as the Chinese Wayang), Malay opera, Malay Joget and Ronggeng were attractions that drew many people to the amusement park. To serve the plural society in Singapore, the Chinese Wayangs had different stages for different dialect groups, and the more prominent stages would be the Cantonese, Teochew and Peking opera stages [14]. These stages were often grand affairs with intricately designed costumes and beautiful actors and actresses who were often big names in the industry [15].
The Malay Joget is a dance that originated from Malacca, while the Ronggeng is a Javanese dance. These were often performed in halls to serve the Malays and Peranakans, but functioned similarly to the cabarets where the girls could be hired to dance with the customers [16].
Picture:
"CROWDS WATCHING A WAYANG SHOW IN ONE OF THE AMUSEMENT PARKS," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 9, 2020,
exhibition/
trade fair
From its opening in 1932, the Great World Amusement Park was home to countless trade fairs. There were international trade fairs, seasonal trade fairs, industry trade fairs, festival trade fairs and even charity trade fairs. Many of these trade fairs had humanitarian motivations, like the Anti-tuberculosis fair held in 1954 [17]. A notable charity trade fair was the 1932 Great World Charity Carnival organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce to aid the China Relief Fund. The charity carnival saw donations of goods by Chinese and European firms, which were displayed for sale at the central pavilion of the park [18].
Many of these trade fairs were often coupled with funfairs that also welcomed many children from underprivileged families like the Christmas Party given by the British Army in 1960 [19]. The trade fairs were generally greatly celebrated and saw the gracing of many distinguished individuals like the first Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and the first President of Singapore, Mr Yusof bin Ishak.
Pictures:
(Top) "Made Clothes at Great World Amusement Park in an Exhibition Organised by the Singapore Garments Manufacturers' Association," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 5, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/a2284fe7-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad.
(Bottom) "Minister of State for Culture Lee Khoon Choy (second from left) tasting a locally made bottled drink from a trade fair stall during opening of Singapore Spring Trade Fair at Great World Amusement Park," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 5, 2020,
Shopping
On July 27 1932, a Pasar Malam (night market) with 70 over stalls was introduced to the Great World. They sold all kinds of goods, manufactured both locally and abroad [20]. The goods were sold at prices cheaper than other places and business was good for both the sellers and the buyers. The Pasar Malam soon became the trademark of the amusement park and became the go-to shopping spot for people from all walks of life.
During the Japanese occupation, the shops in the amusement park also served as a black market for people to trade commodities that were undersupplied. These black market shops were usually masked inconspicuously with windows covered with white paper and one had to go in to ask for the black market goods [21]. Driven by the lack of familiar imported goods during the Japanese Occupation, many local “geniuses” turned to inventing their own equivalents of the products—Shark Liver Oil to replace Scott’s Cod Liver Oil—and displayed them for sale at shops or stalls in the park.
This trend carried on to the end of the Japanese Occupation and retailers in the great world continued selling locally produced goods at affordable prices. Business continued to thrive in the great world, until the 1960s, when departmental stores sprung up and Orchard Road became the buzzing new shopping district.
Pictures:
(Top)"The Great World Amusement Park," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 5, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/888a77e2-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad.
(Bottom) "ROUND-UP OF THE THREE AMUSEMENT PARKS - NEW WORLD, HAPPY WORLD, GREAT WORLD : STALL SELLING CLOTHINGS AT ONE OF THE AMUSEMENT PARKS,"National Archives Singapore, accessed November 5, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/a1a563d0-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad.
restaurantsand
food stalls
After a day of fun and laughter, there is no need to worry about an empty tummy. In the great world, there were myriads of hawker stalls and restaurants to serve delicious food to the visitors. The notable ones are the two Cantonese restaurants, the Wing Choon Yuen Restaurant and Diamond Restaurant. [22] Besides serving delicious suckling pigs and shark’s fin, these two restaurants were popular places for wedding dinners and matchmaking sessions [23].
Picture:
“Wing Choon Yuen Restaurant (咏春园),” Wikipedia, accessed November 12, 2020, https://wiki.sg/p/File:Wing_Choon_Yuen_Restaurant_Great_World.jpg.
Video:
Wing Choon Yuen Restaurant
Taken from “It’s A Great Great World,” Youtube, accessed November 12, 2020, 0:38-0:40,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kb5qlAkN5s&ab_channel=GreatWorld2011.
[1] “About Shaw: Amusement Parks,” Shaw Theatres, accessed November 12, 2020, https://about.shaw.sg/4-amusementparks.html.
[2] “GREAT WORLD NOTES,” Malaya Tribune, August 25, 1932, 5, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19320825-1.2.28.
[3] “GREAT WORLD NOTES,” Malaya Tribune, July 22, 1932, 7, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19320722-1.2.26.
[4] “Page 6 Advertisements Column 3,” Malaya Tribune, September 16, 1932, 6, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19320916-1.2.31.3.
[5] “Great World Opens Friday,” Syonan Shimbun, December 1, 1942, 2, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/syonantimes19421201-1.2.23.
[6] Ng, Jack Kim Boon, Oral History Interview conducted by Low Lay Leng on November 15, 1983, Accession Number 000362, Reels 4 and 5 out of 10, Oral History Interviews @ Archives Online, National Archives of Singapore, Singapore, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/0ac379cd-115e-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=great+world+amusement+park&keywords-type=all.
[7] “Film Shows Again,” The Straits Times, September 24, 1945, 2, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19450924-1.2.13.
[8] “Page 4/1 Advertisements Column 2,” Malaya Tribune, October 29, 1945, 4, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19451029-1.2.24.2.
[9] “Page 3 Advertisements Column 1,” The Straits Times, April 24, 1958, 3, accessed November 7, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19580424-1.2.40.1.
[10] “Mr. SHAW ASKS FILM COUPLE to MALAYA,” The Straits Times, July 29, 1957, 4, accessed November 6, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19570729-1.2.49.
[11] “Page 11 Advertisements Column 1,” The Singapore Free Press, May 17, 1954, 11, accessed November 11, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/freepress19540517-1.2.95.1.
[12] Lam Chun See, “Good Morning Yesterday: James Seah Remembers the Great World Amusement Park,” Good Morning Yesterday, November 12, 2007, http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/2007/11/james-seah-remembers-great-world.html.
[13] “FLAMINGO CLOSES AFTER 40 YEARS,” The Straits Times, October 26, 1978, 26, accessed November 11, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19781026-1.2.66.
[14] "GREAT WORLD' NEWS,” Malaya Tribune, July 27, 1932, 12, accessed November 6, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19320727-1.2.77.
[15] “GREAT WORLD NOTES,” Malaya Tribune, August 25, 1932, Page 5
[16] “About Shaw,” about.shaw.sg, 2015, https://about.shaw.sg/4-amusementparks.html.
[17] Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, SINGAPORE ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION FUN FAIR AT GREAT WORLD PARK, June 5, 1954, National Archives, accessed November 11, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/b329d7fc-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad.
[18] “CHINA RELIEF FUND,” The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, May 14, 1932, 4, accessed November 11, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19320514-1.2.18.
[19] “Courtesy of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), UNDERPRIVILEDGED CHILDREN AT CHRISTMAS PARTY GIVEN BY BRITISH ARMY AT GREAT WORLD PARK,” December 17, 1960, National Archives, accessed November 11, 2020,
[20] “THE GREAT WORLD,” The Straits Times, July 21, 1932, 12, accessed November 6, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19320721-1.2.74.
[21] Ng, Reel 4 out of 10, Accession Number 000362.
[22] “Great World Opens Friday,” Syonan Shimbun, December 1, 1942, 2, accessed November 7, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/syonantimes19421201-1.2.23.
[23] “About Shaw,” about.shaw.sg, 2015, https://about.shaw.sg/4-amusementparks.html.