Happy World amusement park is opened

Happy World was one of Singapore’s most popular amusement parks and entertainment outlets from the 1930s to the 1960s.^[1] Located on a 10-acre tract along Geylang Road, it was opened on 6 May 1937.^[2] The opening ceremony of Happy World was a private event attended by some 1,000 guests who reportedly “consumed nearly 100 gallons of champagne”.^[3] During the ceremony, G. H. Kiat, the managing director of Happy World Limited, the company managing the amusement park, announced that the park was built “as a place where Singapore residents can be happy”.^[4]

At the time of its opening, the amusement park had some impressive buildings and attractions.^[5] For instance, there were theatres for Chinese, Malay and Indian plays, an open-air cinema with a seating capacity of 300, and hundreds of gaming booths, hawkers, goods and refreshment stalls.^[6] These were in addition to an octagonal covered stadium that could accommodate up to 7,000 spectators.^[7] The stadium could hold boxing matches or other sports competitions such as badminton and table tennis.^[8] Some of the sporting events that were slated to take place even before Happy World opened included boxing fights featuring Mexican boxer Ventura Marquez and Siamese boxer Nai Boon Mah.^[9] Besides the stadium, Happy World also had an oval-shaped cabaret hall.^[10] Considered as one that “set a new standard for Singapore”, the cabaret venue had a spacious dance floor that could hold up to 300 couples, and was skirted by columns and bordered by a three-tiered dining area.^[11] In the cabaret hall, visitors could either enjoy music performances by bands such as Bob Hill’s Hot Music or hire a cabaret girl for a dance.^[12]

Happy World remained in operation during the Japanese Occupation (1942–45). After the war ended, Happy World continued to function as a place for recreation and entertainment.^[13] In 1945, cinema operator Eng Wah opened its first cinema theatre, Victory, within its fairground.^[14] In 1952, Happy World made its mark in the sporting world when its stadium was selected as the venue for that year’s Thomas Cup badminton tournament.^[15] It was also one of the venues for the Southeast Asian Peninsula (SEAP) Games in 1973.^[16] To prepare the site for this event, the government took over the management of the amusement park, which had been known as Gay World since January 1966.^[17]

From the 1970s, the popularity of Gay World began to wane due to the advent of new forms of entertainment such as television and shopping malls.^[18] However, compared with other amusement parks at the time – New World and Great World – Gay World was still able to attract visitors mainly due to its food stalls, cinemas, stadium and emporium right up to the days before it was demolished in 2004.^[19] Nonetheless, the crowds were much smaller compared with its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s.^[20] Gay World was demolished in 2004 after it was earmarked for residential use.^[21]

References
1. Chan, K. S. (2000, June 12). Worlds of fun and games. The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Opening of Happy World. (1937, May 7). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 9; The Straits Times, 12 Jun 2000, p. 7; Singapore’s new playground. (1937, April 27). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 7 May 1937, p. 9.
4. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 7 May 1937, p. 9; 100 new ‘taxi-dancers’ make Singapore debut. (1937, May 7). The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 7 May 1937, p. 9.
6. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 27 Apr 1937, p. 1.
7. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 27 Apr 1937, p. 1.
8. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 27 Apr 1937, p. 1.
9. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 27 Apr 1937, p. 1.
10. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 27 Apr 1937, p. 1.
11. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 7 May 1937, p. 9.
12. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 27 Apr 1937, p. 1.
13. Pitt, K. W., et al. (2008). Memories unfolded: A guide to memories at Old Ford Factory (p. 122). Singapore: National Archives of Singapore. Call no.: RSING 940.530745957 ONG-[WAR].
14. Mak, M. S. (2007, November 3). The cinema man. The Straits Times, p. 71. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
15. Happy world is chosen. (1952, February 8). The Singapore Free Press, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
16. Gay World Stadium gets $22,000 face-lift for Seap basketball matches. (1973, July 29). The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
17. Fong, L. (1973, July 25). Govt takes over Gay World. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
18. Heng, G. (1976, July 13). Oh, so many worlds apart! New Nation, pp. 10–11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
19. New Nation, 13 Jul 1976, pp. 10–11; Goh, C. L. (2004, June 14). Gay World no more. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
20. The Straits Times, 14 Jun 2004, p. 2.
21. The Straits Times, 14 Jun 2004, p. 2.