Coliwoo Gay World Hotel: Former 1936 Gay World Theme Park

Contents:

• GAY WORLD (HAPPY WORLD)
• GAY DAYS ARE BACK: A TIME-HONORED TRADN RETURNS TO AMEMENT PARKS AROUND THE COUNTRY
• COLIWOO GAY WORLD HOTEL: MEMENTOS OF THE BYGONE 1936 GAY WORLD AMEMENT PARK GEYLANG
• GAY WORLD

GAY WORLD (HAPPY WORLD)

Gay World was one of three amement parks built Sgapore before World War II and around which Sgapore’s nightlife revolved om the 1920s to the ’60s. Gay World was a popular entertament jot before the advent of televisn and shoppg malls. The se of many fir over the years, Gay World was molished 2001 to make way for revelopment.

History Gay World was one of the three “World” amement parks that provid affordable entertament for Sgaporeans. Gay World, loted on 10 acr of land1 between Mountbatten and Geylang roads, was officially opened on 6 May 1937. The four bs that remaed were Gay World Stadium, Datoh Rajah Theatre and Cabaret (the olst baret Sgapore then), 14 Tai Thong Rtrant and New Happy Cema.

15 Gay World was rced to a mass of buildgs and shops sellg r parts, ed rs and furnure, and a “r park” where office workers nearby parked their rs. 18 They were put up maly by three troup – S Khee L, S Sai Hong and Lum Gay – and ually to fullhoe dienc. 19 Apart om the ual recreatnal activi, Gay World also hosted many cultural shows the 1960s, cludg the six-week-long Sgapore Ftival 1968.

GAY DAYS ARE BACK: A TIME-HONORED TRADN RETURNS TO AMEMENT PARKS AROUND THE COUNTRY

20Gay World was known as a sportg arena, pecially for s boxg match. 21 The door Gay World Stadium was once hailed as the greatt vered stadium Southeast Asia and was purportedly the first vered stadium Malaya.

Other forms of dance that took place Gay World were the Malay ronggeng and joget, terg to the Malays and babas (Peranakan Che men).

Gay World had a ronggeng ksk like a bandstand, and men uld have a dance partner at one dollar for three danc. 33 There were four cemas Gay World, cludg an open-air one that beme a favoure for urtg upl. Gay World also hoed Eng Wah’s first three cemas: Victory, s first cema opened 1945, 34 Silver Cy and Happy.

COLIWOO GAY WORLD HOTEL: MEMENTOS OF THE BYGONE 1936 GAY WORLD AMEMENT PARK GEYLANG

35 Fir Gay World was ravaged by fire many tim. 38 In 1996, Gay World was a shabby state wh some shops, a food centre and Gay World Exhibn Centre, which was fact a furnure store.

2-hectare se, gave notice to the 150 tenants of Gay World to vate the premis by 31 March that year. 40 The Gay World door stadium, later renamed Geylang Indoor Stadium and managed by the Sgapore Sports Council, ntued to operate at the se until s moln after the Sgapore Basketball Associatn end s lease. 41 Gay World was the last of the three Worlds to go.

GAY WORLD

57 TYE-[HIS]); “Great to Be Back a Whole New World, ” Stras Tim, 18 April 1996, 2; Alison Souza, “Of Fights and Sweaty Ders, ” Stras Tim, 16 July 1998, 29; Kelv Tong, “Once, the World Was Great, ” Stras Tim, 11 October 1997, 1; Goh Ch Lian, “Gay World No More, ” Stras Tim, 14 June 2004, 2; “Sgapore’s New Cabaret Opens Tonight, ” Stras Tim, 6 May 1937, 12. Llie Fong, “Govt Tak Over Gay World, ” Stras Tim, 25 July 1973, 1; “Gay World Stadium Gets $22, 000 Face-Lift for Seap Basketball Match, ” Stras Tim, 29 July 1973, 6.

Chang Kwang Seh, “New Plans for the Gay World Park, ” Sgapore Monor, 25 June 1983, 2. Rudolph, “Amements the Three Worlds, ” 30; “Then & Now, ” Stras Tim, 14 June 2004, 2; Goh, “Gay World No More”; Leong Weng Kam, “The Last Days of Gay World, ” Stras Tim, 20 May 2000, 69. Tyers and Sw, Ray Tyers’ Sgapore, 201; Rudolph, “Amements the Three Worlds, ” 23, 28; Goh, “Gay World No More”; Chan, “Worlds of Fun and Gam”; Leong, “Last Days of Gay World”; Souza, “Of Fights and Sweaty Ders.

Goh, Goh, “Gay World No More”; Rudolph, “Amements the Three Worlds, ” 25–28; Tyers and Sw, Ray Tyers’ Sgapore, 200.

“Police Spect Arson Gay World Fire, ” Stras Tim, 28 June 1988, 11; “‘Huolong’ sue fanhua shijie” 火龙”肆虐繁华世界 [‘Fire Dragon’ ravag the prospero world], Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报, 27 June 1988, 1.

Elgen Kua, “BAS Bids Goodbye to Gay World, ” Stras Tim, 22 January 2001, S3. Leong Weng Kam, “Bs as Usual for Gay World Tenants, ” Stras Tim, 18 July 2000, 40 (From Newspaper); Leong, “Last Days of Gay World”; “Then & Now. ” Who don’t love those gay days?

Gay Days at amement parks are ed special, and if you’re LGBTQ+, you’re ved. Disney World Orlando might be the first park that to md when to Gay Days, but several other amement parks across the untry officially or unofficially wele the LGBTQ+ muny each year for smaller, but jt as Priful, events. From Six Flags Magic Mounta Los Angel to Cedar Pot and Kgs Island Oh and Knoebels Amement Rort Pennsylvania, many amement parks across the untry celebrate Gay Day every year.

Chris Wallace, who has attend several Gay Days at Kgs Island near Ccnati, Oh, uldn’t agree more about the muny aspect of the events. He says, “It’s hard to fd a space where I feel like I don’t have ey on me, where I n jt be me whout worryg someone might nont me for simply lookg ‘too gay.

Wallace says the l are always shorter on Gay Days at Kgs Island. Make sure you make the most of this and plan to be Ccnati for their Gay Day event, Pri Night at Kgs Island, on Sept. Cedar Pot, also loted Oh, hosts an unofficial Gay Day on Father’s Day each year (June 19 2022).