Great World Playland

Things To Know About The  Great World Playland

The Great World Amusement Park, also known as “Tua Seh Kai” in Hokkien, was the second of three former amusement parks in Singapore, after New World (founded 1923) and Gay World (formed 1922). (established 1936).  Great World Playland opened in 1929 and closed in 1978. It used to give amusement and pleasure individuals with a focus on the middle and lower income categories of society.

Meta Description

The Great World Playland amusement park locates in the central area of Singapore between Zion Road, River Valley Road, and Kim Seng Road.

History

The property was formerly a Chinese cemetery in the 1920s. According to a map of Singapore from 1909, the area cover in swampy marshes at the time, and a short canal ran through the location, eventually meeting the Singapore River. The site was rebuilt into an amusement park in the 1930s by the landowner, Lee Geok Kun (brother of benefactor Lee Kong Chian). Great World’s business did not meet the owners’ expectations the park sold to the Shaw Brothers in 1941, who took over the park’s operations.

Design and architecture

The developers decided to keep the “Worlds” concept and include it in the new development. Inside the restrooms, several themes such as African, Spanish, Egyptians, and Wild West were introduced, along with ornamentation around the mall. The ceiling board is painted sky blue to convey the concept of people entering their own “World.” The thematic approach was panned by critics on both sides, with the younger generation praising the mall’s convenience and the older age lamenting the lack of respect that these thematic facades give to Great World Amusement Park’s rich history. The front leading to the entryway bears only a passing resemblance.

At the Great World City Playground, you can travel the globe.

The Great World City Playland is an open-air playground with a fanciful travel theme and a low climbing structure meant look like a hot air balloon as its centrepiece. A dome is raised at an angle above the ground by some supports in this colourful play structure. Climbing nets on the inside allow kids to work way up from the soft-padded ground of the playground to higher nets and a few hammocks above. It appears to be a hot air balloon about to take off. Their yellow climbing ropes attach the hot air balloon to the ground and from taking to the air. The design structure is comparable to the Anchorvale Plains Jellyfish Playground, the playground equipment at West Plains in Bukit Batok.

What else is there to see at Great World Playland?

Great World retail complex has a ship play area. The Great World shopping mall playground also contains a structure that resembles a ship, which fits nicely with the adventurous transportation motif. A train with carriages is available as well. A see-saw and an elephant-shaped teeter-totter are the other activities available at the Great World City shopping mall playground. At the Great World shopping mall playground, there is a tunnel and a trampoline as well. The Great World Playland is appropriate for children aged 3 to 12. It is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except during inclement weather.