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27-523: The amusement park was situated between Zion Road, River Valley Road and Kim Seng Road in the central part of Singapore. In the 1920s, the site was originally a Chinese cemetery . Taking reference to a map of Singapore in 1909, the place was covered with swampy marshes back then and a small canal run across the site, eventually meeting with the Singapore River thereafter. The landowner, Lee Geok Kun (brother of philanthropist Lee Kong Chian ), redeveloped

54-622: A Prisoner-Of-War (POW) camp that held captive the Australian soldiers from the Allied Forces. Eventually the park was instructed to resume its activities for the benefit of the Japanese soldiers. In order to make way for these activities, the POWs were shifted into shacks that were behind the park, out of access and sight from the park. Gambling activities, a favourite amongst the Japanese, were rampant in

81-460: A film called Bed , a comedy drama set in 1960s Singapore when the city-state's education system switched from Chinese language to English. Tong says his influences range "from Lars von Trier to Stephen Chow ". With his brother, producer Leon Tong, Kelvin has his own production company, Boku Films , enabling him to independently develop his film projects. In a 2007 interview, Kelvin Tong said he

108-648: A glimpse of the actress in person. International Trade Fairs were also held within the park and it would fetch a record high attendance of 50,000 visitors. Some other events that were held there include the British Trade Fair, badminton matches, and even boxing matches. There was also a Japanese Circus there. There were a vast array of game stalls and shops in Great World as well, such as selling toys and children's clothes. The park attractions included four Shaw Brothers -run cinemas named Atlantic, Canton, Globe and Sky,

135-409: A nightclub called Flamingo. Globe and Sky Theatres showcased mainly English films while Atlantic and Canton Theatres screened their films in either mandarin or cantonese. Films were second-run films thus they were available at an affordable price of 50cents per ticket. The Flamingo Night Club was also a common hang out spot among the wealthy individuals, paying homage to the group of cabaret girls home to

162-567: Is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter and producer. He was a former film critic for The Straits Times . Kelvin's passion for theatre and filmmaking began in his secondary school days in Victoria School . He went on to study at Victoria Junior College and law at the National University of Singapore . After a short nine-month stint with law firm, Drew & Napier , following his graduation from law school, Kelvin started out in

189-507: Is a street in Singapore that runs along the upper-easternmost portion of the Bukit Merah - Central Area border. It was named after Peranakan philanthropist, Tan Kim Seng . Today, the boundaries of Kim Seng division are: Indus Road and Alexandra Canal in the north; Jalan Bukit Ho Swee in the south; Kim Seng Road and Outram Road in the east; and Lower Delta Road in the west. It is served by

216-618: Is still learning his craft: "It is one thing to talk about films as a journalist, but it is fascinating that many of the decisions that make a difference between a good and a bad film are made in front of a monitor, often in a fraction of a second." In June 2010, Tong was part of a group of Singapore filmmakers to protest the Asian Film Archive 's head Tan Bee Thiam 's supposed conflict of interest. Their letter led to Tan's resignation as executive director in September. In 2014, Tong became

243-524: The Thomson–East Coast MRT line which opened on 13 November 2022. The Kim Seng Bridge on Kim Seng Road, the most westerly of the 9 bridges crossing the Singapore River, carries Kim Seng Road from River Valley Road to Havelock Road. It also marks the supposed source of the Singapore River, and its upper reaches flows as the Alexandra Canal. In 1857, Tan Kim Seng donated $ 130,000 to improve

270-623: The Great World Amusement Park with 2 movie theatres: the Sky and Globe built in the 1960s, the Times House, built in the early 1960s and demolished in April 2004 and redeveloped into a 36-storey high condominium, The Cosmopolitan, by Wheelock Properties. Current landmarks includes Great World , a mixed retail and residential complex. The street gained Tan's name when he contributed financially to

297-733: The Singapore River , it is not uncommon to see tourists strolling along the pavements of the Kim Seng Road. As it is of close proximity to the chillout bars at colonial houses located in Tiong Bahru and the Great World, visitors can also experience a taste of Singapore's heritage at those century-old temples. Bus services 5, 16, 75, 175, 195 and 970 ply along Kim Seng Road (southbound) and Zion Road (northbound). Kelvin Tong Kelvin Tong Weng Kian (born in 1971 or 1972)

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324-554: The box office record in Singapore for the horror genre, making S$ 700,000 on its opening weekend. Hailed as the first Singaporean horror film, The Maid won the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation Asian Film Award at the 10th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival . It was produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures . He next directed Love Story , which combined three short stories that examined different aspects of love. It

351-519: The building of the thoroughfare. He was known as the founder of the firm of Kim Seng & Co. and was a well-known philanthropist and businessman. In Hokkien, Hong Hin kio and its Cantonese variant Fung heng lo. which means "Hong Hin Bridge" where Hong Hin refers to the seal of Tan. Famous landmarks in this constituency today include the Giok Hong Tian Temple (玉皇殿) (built in 1887), which is one of

378-570: The estate was self-sufficient, incorporating schools, business and social amenities in its design. The boundaries of Kim Seng Constituency have shifted over the years, due to population and re-zoning changes. The Kim Seng area was made a constituency only in 1972. Prior to this, the area was part of the Delta constituency. In 1991, Kim Seng was incorporated into the Kampong Glam Group Representation Constituency, together with

405-466: The film business as a film critic, writing reviews for The Straits Times from 1995 to 1999. He made a short film, Moveable Feast , in 1996 with Sandi Tan and Jasmine Ng Kin Kia . His first feature, co-directed with Jasmine Ng Kin Kia, is "a motorcycle kung-fu love story", titled Eating Air , which was received respectably. His next film, The Maid , a horror thriller, made a bigger impact, breaking

432-595: The former single wards of Kampong Glam , Cairnhill and Moulmein. The constituencies were therefore replaced by the Kreta Ayer-Tanglin GRC (Kim Seng), followed by merging of Kreta Ayer into the Jalan Besar GRC and lastly the Tanjong Pagar GRC . The road itself is now looked after by both Tanjong Pagar Town Council (Henderson-Dawson, the northern part of the road) and Jalan Besar Town Council (the rest of

459-695: The most architecturally decorative and ornate temples in Singapore founded by prominent Hokkien leader Cheang Hong Lim (章芳林), and Hock Teck Tong Temple (福德堂) (built in 1921) which is related to the Tua Pek Kong Temple in Kusu Island . Both Giok Hong Tian Temple and Hock Teck Tong Temple are located along Havelock Road; the Chwee Hean Keng Temple (水显宫) (built in 1927) located on Zion Road was unfortunately demolished; and Great World, Former Kim Seng Plaza, Times House in Kim Seng Road. Located next to

486-464: The night club. Famous restaurants and food stalls were not to be missed such as the famous Cantonese restaurant Wing Choon Yuen (now Spring Court) and Diamond, famous for its specialities like Sharks' fin and roasted pork, was a common spot for wedding banquets and functions. A handful of park attractions like the ferris wheel, carousel, and roller coaster rides were popular especially by the young kids. Peking Operas and wayang shows were popular amongst

513-404: The older generation and they are shown on the stage there. There is the popular Ghost Train, which took one for a ride full and screams and shouts with the ghost and demons props hanging down along the journey inside a building. As television gained popularity here from the 1960s onwards, people visited the park less thus business started to decline. Finally, the park had its last session opened to

540-402: The park during this period. Following the war, Great World was given a makeover with most of its attractions as well as stalls revamped and upgraded. In 1958, the park had a grand opening here and Elizabeth Taylor , a famous actress back then, graced the event as she was performing at Sky Theatre's opening as well. It was a major talking point back then as many came down especially just to catch

567-452: The people in 1964 and was subsequently sold off to Kuok Holdings in 1978. A retail shopping mall, Great World City (now Great World ) which includes residential and office spaces now sits on the very spot where Great World Amusement Park used to stand. The developers saw fit to retain a similar concept of the "Worlds" and introduce it to the new development. Different themes like African, Spanish, Egyptians and Wild West were implemented inside

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594-467: The rich history that Great World Amusement Park brings. Only a slight resemblance could be made in the facade leading to the entrance of the shopping centre. In 2010, director Kelvin Tong produced a film revolving around the amusement park. The two-million dollar film, It's A Great, Great World , based on the history of the park, was released theatrically on 27 January 2011, throughout Singapore. Kim Seng Kim Seng Road ( Chinese : 金声路 )

621-520: The road) (formerly City Centre Town Council and Tanjong Pagar Town Council). In the 1990s, the housing developments have been improved through the HDB's Main Upgrading Programme. Private developments include Tiara Condominium Apartments, Mirage Tower Apartments and King's Centre at the corner of Havelock Road. 2 new roads, Kim Seng Walk and Kim Seng Promenade, were created also. Former landmarks included

648-569: The site into an amusement park in the 1930s. Business within Great World did not fulfil the expectations of the owners so in 1941, the park was sold to the Shaw Brothers who took over the operations of the park. Before the Shaw Brothers could make any interventions to their newly acquired park, the Japanese took control over Singapore during the second World War . The park was then converted into

675-399: The toilets accompanied with ornamentations all around the mall. Even the ceiling board is painted sky blue to portray the idea of visitors entering into a "World" of its own. The thematic approach was met with both sides of the critic, with the younger generation lauding the convenience brought by the mall while the older generation lamenting the lack of justice that these thematic facades do to

702-796: The town's water supply and the Commissioners erected a water fountain (now located at the Esplanade) in 1882, in appreciation of his contribution. A road and bridge also bear his name. In the 1950s, Kim Seng and its neighbouring area, Bukit Ho Swee were a notorious crime-filled slum area with thousands of dilapidated huts. Squalid conditions affected the health and morale of residents. Two big fires in 1961 and 1968 made 9,000 people homeless and changed all that. The burnt-out, rundown shacks were replaced by modern flats and people were rehoused in what became Bukit Ho Swee and Kim Seng Housing Estates. The newly established Housing and Development Board ensured that

729-557: Was screened at the 2006 Pusan International Film Festival . The film was produced by Hong Kong–based Focus Films. In 2007, he directed the horror-comedy Men in White , about four ghosts struggling to survive in Singapore, and which examined the Singaporean obsession with superstitions. It was produced by Innoform Media. In 2008, he directed the crime thriller, Rule No. 1 , produced by Hong Kong–based Fortune Star. He also plans to direct

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