Note: The parks are closed permanently. This website is for documentation and educational purposes only.
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T H R E E
"Worlds"
The singapore legacy.
N E W W O R L D
THINGS TO do and see
ENTRANCE FEEs
When visitors first arrived at the New World Amusement Park, they were bound to find something that interests them. Each visitor was charged 10 cents to enter the amusement park, and a separate fee was charged for entertainment programmes [1].
From Wayang shows to ronggeng to open- air cinemas and merry-go-rounds, the entertainment activities cater to people from all walks of life. The New World was publicised as a leisure attraction where people could enjoy themselves after a day of work. When dusk approaches, the park comes to life as visitors are greeted by bright neon lights and loud lively music.
“A history of Singapore in 51 objects,” The Straits Times, last accessed November 1, 2020, http://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2016/07/singapore-history-51-objects/index.html#.
On December 19, 1929, the New World’s opened Singapore’s first public cabaret, the New World Cabaret or also known as the Cabaret De Luxe. [2] It consisted of 30 dancing partners and vaudeville artists, who were “the cream of Manila” and personally recruited by Mr Ong Peng Hock. [3] The cabaret had dancing halls with dance bands and dance hostesses and was a major attraction at the park. [4] In 1938, the New World Cabaret dance hall became the first to have air-conditioning [5], and its dance floor was large enough for 500 couples to dance comfortably. [6]
Besides this, many cabaret girls were involved in prostitution to supplement their income since the New World was located in Jalan Besar, a red light district. [7] The trend of “taxi-driving” was widely adopted in many dance halls as their business approach where popular dance styles such as joget, ronggeng, cha cha and rumba were performed.[8]
Pictures:
(Top) Wong Yunn Chii and Tan Kar Lin. “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space for culture and consumption: the new world amusement park‐Singapore (1923–70) in the inter‐war years." Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 5:2, 297.
(Bottom) “New World,” Malaya Tribune, 22 August 1938, 9, accessed November 1, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19380822-1.2.72.1.
Because of its popularity, bangsawan was the prime entertainment programme [9] in the New World. Furthermore, the Ong brothers placed much emphasis on operatic shows, partly in respect to their late mother, Mrs Ong Sam Leong. [10] In fact, the New World’s City Opera, a bangsawan troupe, became so famous that they were awarded the title of the “best opera in Malaya” by the press. [11]
The admission fees into the performance halls range from 10 cents to three dollars. [12] However, for those who could not afford it, they would stand outside and admire the shows from afar. [13] Since the bangsawan hits were broadcasted across the parks, visitors could still enjoy them in some form. [14]
In 1965, Minah Bakar and Din-Tijah Bangsawan remained as the two groups performing in New World and Happy World. [15]
Picture:
"BANGSAWAN (OPERA) SCENE (C1900S)," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 11, 2020,
Joget was introduced to Singapore’s entertainment scene by the New World. [16] New World’s Bunga Tanjong dance hall was the host to many joget performances in the 1950s. Malays and Babas formed the bulk of the audience and the joget girls would cater to them until late at night. [17] Besides them, foreign sailors who were on shore leave and curious tourists frequent these performances. [18] In return, they were loved by the joget girls for their generous tips. Particularly, during Hari Raya and public holidays, the dance hall was filled to the brim with eager men waiting for their beloved dancers.[19]
Many former bangsawan actresses became joget dancers [20] and former ronggeng dancers transitioned into joget because performing the modern joget was more enjoyable to these dancers and of course, because it paid better. [21] These dancers would draw attention to themselves with their seductive and colourful sarong kebaya, and were often draped in the most fashionable Java outfits. [22] Popular joget girls could earn as much as $180 a month, higher than being an actress in locally produced films. [23] These attractive joget girls would also find themselves as the cause of conflicts because male patrons often fight over them. [24]
Pictures:
(Top) "OPENING OF RUMAH TEMASEK WHERE SINGAPORE CULTURAL MISSION WILL PERFORM ANEKA RAGAM SINGAPURA," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 1, 2020,
(Bottom) "Malay men in Singapore dancing the "joget", a popular dance originating from Java," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 1, 2020,
The New World has several venues designated for each operatic genre: Peking operas were performed at the teahouse-themed Octagon Pavilion( 八角亭), and an indoor theatre named Great Stage (大舞台); Cantonese operas were staged at Sunshine Stage (also known as Sunlight Hall) (日光台), which was considered to be the biggest stage in New World ; one venue for Fujian opera; and the Chaozhou opera performed at another indoor theatre called Community Assembly (百老汇). New World was famous for Cantonese and Hainan operas. [25] Most wayang shows in amusement parks catered to the Chinese community in their proximity, but New World was located away from mainly Chinese districts. [26] Nevertheless, it still staged many popular Chaozhou operas and often presented a famous Chaozhou opera troupe: Lau Sai Thor Guan Teochew Wayang (老赛桃源潮剧团). [27]
Since people from all backgrounds frequent the park, wayang performances were no longer limited to the Chinese community. For example, Babas and Nonyas who understood some Cantonese would watch Cantonese opera performances as well. [28] The period when the Shaw brothers became the proprietors of the New World coincided with the booming success of the movie industry. [29] Riding on this success, the Shaw brothers invited many overseas Cantonese opera stars to star in Shaw movie productions, such as See Kok Sin and Tong Shuet Heng. [30]
Pictures:
(Top) “CHINESE OPERA IN NEW WORLD, SINGAPORE,” National Archives Singapore, accessed November 11, 2020,
(Bottom) "CHINESE WAYANG," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 11, 2020,
striptease
After WWII ended in 1945, the demand for entertainment programmes rose again. Striptease was first introduced in the park in 1949 by Madame Tai Fong, who was a former cabaret singer and dancer. [31] Singapore’s first striptease public entertainment started in New World from the Madame Fong’s Fong Fong Revue, where routines comprising dance and comedic elements and combined with captivating costumes for the performers attracted a swarm of thirsty patrons. One of the most well-loved routines include the flirty Fong Fong “Butterfly Dance”. [32]
However, not everyone welcomed this form of entertainment as the public often lodged complaints to the police, labelling it as a “degrading performance”[33]. For some time, the colonial police banned striptease performances until the “Queen of Strip”, Rose Chan, brought it to life again in the late 1950s. [34] She performed her first striptease at the Fong Fong Cafe in New World，[35] and at the peak of career, she also held her shows there. [36] This form of entertainment would eventually be eradicated due to the Anti-Yellow Campaign that was launched in 1959. [37]
Picture:
“FOUR SCANTY GIRLS ARE BANNED,” The Singapore Free Press, June 19, 1953, 3, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/freepress19530619-1.2.20.
boxing and wrestling matches
Fighting matches were also regularly held in the New World since its beginning. [38] Even during the Japanese Occupation, boxing and wrestling competitions were still ongoing. [39] It was a popular entertainment activity enjoyed by the masses despite the difficult times. Boxes and wrestlers from all over the world, [40] such as the Philippines and Japan [41]. Famous boxers like Emilia Czaja “King Kong”[42], arrived at the New World to attend these matches. These matches were often held at the New World Stadium, [43] where big crowds could gather to watch their favourite boxers fight. The cost for a boxing ticket stretches from 50 cents to 3 dollars, [44] and if you purchased a boxing ticket beforehand, you could enjoy free entry into the park. [45]
Picture:
“BOXING! BOXING!”, Morning Tribune, August 23, 1940, 13, accessed November 1, 2020,
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/morningtribune19400823-1.2.58.1.
Other
Attractions
There were also many attractions for people of all ages. These included miniature zoos, merry-go-round, submarine and aeroplanes, which made up the Great American Novelty Show during its first year of opening. [46]
As the scale of the amusement park slowly expanded, more features emerged such as the Crazy House and Pitt Show were part of the Oriental Show in 1924. [47]
For the thrill-seekers out there, the New World introduced the Ghost Train in 1933 for those searching for that spooky factor. Replicated from the one at Margate’s Dreamland in Kent, [48] England, Mr Ong Boon Tat bought the Ghost Train when he was there [49].
Picture:
"ROUND-UP OF THE THREE AMUSEMENT PARKS - NEW WORLD, HAPPY WORLD, GREAT WORLD : THIS 'MONSTER' IS ONE OF THE THRILLS OF THE GHOST TRAIN RIDE IN THE AMUSEMENT PARK," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 1, 2020,
Food
Many hawker stalls were selling an assortment of food and beverages. These stalls were strategically located near the attractions [50] so patrons could quickly grab a bite when they got hungry from wandering through the New World.
Apart from hawker stalls, atas restaurants also served Western and Cantonese cuisines. [51] The Cantonese restaurants were well-liked by the Chinese for holding wedding dinners and matchmaking events. [52]
Picture:
"MINISTER FOR SOCIAL AFFAIRS OTHMAN BIN WOK AT THE OPENING OF KAMPONG KEMBANGAN CONSTITUENCY NEW YEAR EXPOSITION AT GAY WORLD AMUSEMENT PARK," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 1, 2020,
Shopping
For accessibility, many stalls scattered across the premises of the attractions. [53] Patrons could shop when they finished visiting each attraction or as they travel from one attraction to the other.
These stalls sold a wide array of goods: Thermal flasks, sun-dried goods, refreshments, [54] medicine – you name it, they got it. During the Japanese Occupation, the New World became a black market where goods were sold at skyrocketing prices. [55]
Picture:
"TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SELLERS PREPARING THEIR STALL AT THE NEW WORLD AMUSEMENT PARK," National Archives Singapore, accessed November 1, 2020,
TradE
Exhibitions
The New World hosted a series of trade exhibitions [54] ever since its opening, such as the Penang Christmas-New Year trade fair organised by the Shaw brothers, which subsequently became an annual affair. [56] Furthermore, under the sponsorship of the Shaw brothers, the trade fair also held a beauty contest yearly [57] as part of the efforts to draw interests to the park itself.
Most notably, the park hosted the New World Trade Fair in 1965, shortly after Singapore gained its independence. It was a month-long fair, where over $1 million worth of goods were displayed. [58]
Picture:
"PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HO CHENG CHOON OPENS NEW WORLD TRADE FAIR AT NEW WORLD PARK,"
National Archives Singapore,
accessed November 1, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/c8ba0764-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad.
Charities
The New World was also involved in many fundraising events. For example, concerts [59] and dance performances [60] were organised in aid of the China Relief Fund, which was an effort by the Overseas Chinese to support China [61] in the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Some of these events even involved Chinese women who wanted to contribute to their homeland, and they raised as much as $2000 for their performances at New World. [62]
The proprietors of New World, Mr Ong Boon Tat and Mr Ong Peng Hock, also donated 3 nights of the park’s revenues to the China Red Cross Relief Fund. [63] Apart from the park’s heavy involvement in raising funds for the Sino-Japanese War (perhaps due to their Chinese ancestry), the park also donated much of its proceedings to other relief funds, such as the China Flood Relief Fund [64] and the Poppy Day Fund. [65] In 1934, the New World hosted a total of 10 charity shows to raise funds for local and overseas organisations. [66]
Picture:
"GROUP PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DECORATION TEAM FOR THE OVERSEAS CHINESE CONGRESS FOR CHINA RELIEF FUND HELD IN SINGAPORE," National Archives Singapore,
accessed November 1, 2020,
Instead of playing silent films, talkies were cinemas showing movies with soundtracks. [67] The talkies played films of various genres, such as action, comedy-drama and romance, [68] and different languages such as Chinese, English and Malay. [69] The ticket price ranges from 10 cents to 60 cents. [70]
Picture:
Wong Yunn Chii and Tan Kar Lin. “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space for culture and consumption: the new world amusement park‐Singapore (1923–70) in the inter‐war years.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 5:2, 291.
[1] “Ticket for New World Cabaret,” National Heritage Board, last accessed November 1, 2020, https://www.roots.gov.sg/learn/collections/listing/1158432.
[2] “New World Cabaret,” The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, April 17, 1934, 7, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19340417-1.2.49.2.
[3] “Development Of The New World,” The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, October 8, 1935, 23, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19351008-1.2.18.25.
[4] Jürgen Rudolph, “Amusement in the three “worlds”,” In Looking at Culture, edited by S. Krishnan, 21–33, Singapore: Artres Design & Communications, 1996.
[5] “SINGAPORE'S LATEST CABARET,” The Straits Times, May 15, 1938, 3, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19380515-1.2.22.
[6] “Bunga Tanjong: Once the fun-seekers' haven,” The Straits Times, August 3, 1988, 4, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880803-1.2.62.5.1.
[7] Rudolph, “Amusement in the three “worlds”, 27.
[8] “The Bunga Tanjong Malay dance hall at the New World Amusement Park,” National Heritage Board, accessed November 1, 2020, https://www.roots.gov.sg/learn/collections/listing/1107029.
[9] Yunn Chii, Wong and Tan Kar Lin. “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space for culture and consumption: the new world amusement park‐Singapore (1923–70) in the inter‐war years.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 5:2, 293, DOI: 10.1080/1464937042000236757.
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[10] “Development Of The New World,” 23.
[11] “Development Of The New World,” 23.
[12] Tan Sooi Beng, Bangsawan : a Social and Stylistic History of Popular Malay Opera (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1993), 30.
[13] Tan, Bangswan, 30.
[14] Tan, Bangswan, 30.
[15] “Musical practice of Bangsawan in Singapore,” musicSG, accessed November 1, 2020, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/music/Media/PDFs/Article/59408ceb-ab6f-4d48-94f2-0e370f14bf33.pdf.
[16] “Modern joget is here to stay,” The Straits Times, October 2, 1949, 8, accessed November 1, 2020,
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[17] Rudolph, “Amusement in the three “worlds,” 26.
[18] “Bunga Tanjong: Once the fun-seekers' haven,” The Straits Times, August 3, 1988, 4, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880803-1.2.62.5.1.
[19] “Bunga Tanjong: Once the fun-seekers' haven.”
[20] Ken Jalleh, “Modern Joget is here to stay,” The Straits Times, October 2, 1949, 8, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19491002-1.2.72.
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[21] Jalleh, “Modern Joget.”
[22] “Bunga Tanjong: Once the fun-seekers' haven.”
[23] “Noorsiah is tops,” The Straits Times, April 30, 1950, 8, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19500430-1.2.77.
[24] “Seaman first murder victim in the New Year,” The Straits Times, January 3, 1974,11, accessed November 1, 2020,http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19740103-1.2.59.
[25] Lee Tong Soon, Chinese Street Opera in Singapore, (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2009), 33.
[26] Lee, Chinese Street Opera, 33.
[27] Lee, Chinese Street Opera, 34.
[28] Tan Ooh Chye and Chew Chon Yan, The Development of Cantonese Opera in Singapore, (Singapore: The Chinese Opera Institute, 2013), 36.
[29] Tan and Chew, The Development, 36.
[30] Tan and Chew, The Development, 36.
[31] David Brazil, Insider’s Singapore, Singapore: Times Books International, 1999, 180.
[32] Brazil, Insider’s Singapore, 179.
[33] “That strip tease act,” The Singapore Free Press, February 25, 1953, 5, accessed November 1, 2020,
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[34] Brazil, Insider’s Singapore, 180.
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[36] “Rose is told she can now shed more,” The Straits Times, April 20, 1956, 4, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19560420-1.2.64.
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[41] Ronald Hubert Barth, Interview by Pitt Kuan Wah, February 10, 1984, Accession No.000394. Reel No.4/26, 44,Oral History Centre, National Archives of Singapore, accessed November 1, 2020, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/0865122d-115e-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad?keywords=boxing+new+world&keywords-type=all.
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[45] Barth, Accession No. 000394.
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[50] Wong and Tan, “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space,” 288.
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[53] Wong and Tan, “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space,” 288.
[54] Wong and Tan, “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space,” 288.
[55] Brazil, Insider’s Singapore, 179.
[56] Wong and Tan, “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space,” 301.
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[67] “Development Of The New World,” The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, October 8, 1935, 23, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19351008-1.2.18.25.
[68] Omar, “New World Park.”
[69] “Advertisements Column 2,” Malaya Tribune, April 12, 1935, 6, accessed November 1, 2020, http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19350412-1.2.35.2. ; “SUN TALKIE HALL AT THE NEW WORLD,” Malaya Tribune, August 24, 1934, 9, accessed November 1, 2020,
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[70] “Advertisements Column 2,”; “THE NEW WORLD SHOW.”
[71] “SUN TALKIE HALL AT THE NEW WORLD,”; “THE NEW WORLD SHOW.”