That the new name for New World Park, the earliest Amusement Park that existed in Singapore way back in 1923.
It must be the equivalent of how Universal Studios in Resorts World Sentosa is today to people long ago.
Here's a write up of history on the board at the site.
I was at Singapore's Eco Mall for some food and shopping just the other day and took these photos.
For those who likes to read even more, here's a press release given half a year ago:
Singapore, 27 January 2011 – The New World Gate was officially unveiled today at City Green, the state-owned park adjacent to City Square Mall, Singapore’s first eco-mall. With the support of National Parks Board (NParks), National Heritage Board (NHB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), City Square Mall, owned and managed by City Developments Limited (CDL), has carefully reconstructed the gate for Singaporeans to remember the history of the former New World Amusement Park.
The gate, installed at the entrance of City Green on Serangoon Road, features the words “The New World” on its gateway arch to symbolise the interconnectivity of Singapore’s past, present and future.
CDL’s efforts to restore the gate stems from its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) conviction to conserve the environment care for the community and to promote Singapore’s cultural heritage.
"We have always been relentless in our CSR initiatives to create value for communities while ensuring we are responsible developers. Our initiative to install the reconstructed New World Amusement Park gate will help remind visitors about the history of the site,” said Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, Group General Manager of CDL.
Reminiscing about his childhood days spent at the amusement park, Mr Chia said, “I would visit the New World Amusement Park regularly with my family to enjoy the diverse entertainment options. As the "pioneer amusement park in Malaya", there was something for everyone on the fairground. There were rides and carousels, open-air cinemas, Chinese and Malay opera halls, boxing arenas, dance halls and travelling performances from overseas. One could literally spend a whole day at the park to take a family photograph, get a haircut at the barber, enjoy hawker fare, or even go for a romantic walk in the park with a loved one!”
“This gate is symbolic of the memories attached to the former New World Amusement Park, and its presence at the entrance of City Green will bring about a sense of nostalgia of the days where the amusement park was a bustling activity hub. These shared memories are a great way for the community visiting the mall to bond, where now, City Square Mall is the new community hub for families living in the neighbourhood to visit to shop, dine and relax,” said Edward Tan, Director of Operations & Human Resource & Admin at Metro, the anchor tenant of City Square Mall.
With its focus on the community and the environment, City Square Mall, like the former New World Amusement Park, is the perfect setting as a community hub where families and friends gather for social activities.
