One of the three ‘Worlds’, Happy World was one of the popular venues for entertainment in Singapore from before WWII to the late 1950s. Located between Mountbatten and Geylang Road, it was set up by Lee Geok Eng in 1936. It was renamed Gay World in 1966. The main tenants that remained the longest were Eng Wah Organization, Datoh Rajah Theatre and Cabaret, Tai Thong Restaurant and New Happy Cinema. The dance hall and an open air cinema were popular with courting couples in the 1950s. By the 1970s, it was considered outdated with the advent of new air-conditioned shopping malls. As the number of visitors dwindled and fire ravaged the premises on several occasions, tenants were given notice to vacate the premise in 2000. It was finally demolished in 2001.
