If you’re a frequent visitor to Bukit Bintang, you’ve definitely come across or even shopped at Sungei Wang Plaza. The shopping centre is Malaysia’s second-oldest mall, after Ampang Park, and is also home to Mega Star Arena, where countless concerts have been held over the years, with more to come this year. However, did you know that before this mall was built, the location used to be a theme park?
That’s right! There was once Bukit Bintang (BB) Amusement Park, also known as Hollywood Park. In fact, the name of the amusement park varies, but one thing’s for sure: it was once a popular spot for all things entertainment. Let’s learn a little more about this attraction and how Sungei Wang Plaza came to be.
Back in the 1930s, Shaw Brothers Studio owned BB Amusement Park, and you could spot their logo in the old films screened there. At the time, Bukit Bintang didn’t offer much in terms of entertainment, so you can imagine how popular this theme park was. According to the wohenserious YouTube channel, entry tickets once cost 25 cents, and with that ticket, guests had access to various games, rides, and live performances. Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng also once performed at the venue when she was just 10 years old.
BB Park was truly an entertainment hub in its prime. Sadly, things were changing rapidly after the birth of television, radio and cinemas. With more people having access to these forms of media, the once popular and lively amusement park was losing its customers. The attraction was eventually closed sometime in the 1970s. Not long after its closure, Tan Sri Chong Kok Lim, who was a tin miner at the time, came into the picture and invested in a project that is now known today as Sungei Wang Plaza.
After the demolition of BB Park, construction of the shopping centre began in 1975, and it officially opened its doors to the public two years later in 1977, featuring seven shopping levels and three split-level basement parking areas. At the time, there weren’t many malls in Malaysia, so Sungei Wang Plaza became an instant hit, much like its predecessor that once stood on the site. In addition to the latest fashion trends, the plaza offered attractions such as an ice skating rink, bumper cars, and an arcade—things we don’t see often at the mall today.
Another popular feature of Sungei Wang Plaza back in the day was its KFC outlet, which was once the highest-selling outlet in the world! From the photos, it certainly looked like a full house. As for the cinemas, Sungei Wang Plaza was home to two of the largest indoor cinemas in Malaysia at the time: Sungei Wang Cinema and President Cinema. Both cinemas were located in the same area, with crowds often seen lining up to buy tickets for the latest films.
As a result of economic growth in the 1980s, , new shopping centres began emerging around Kuala Lumpur, such as Lot 10 and Bukit Bintang Plaza. However, neither could compete with Sungei Wang Plaza’s popularity. Since its opening, the mall has consistently attracted an average of two million visitors per month and has won several prestigious awards in the ‘Best Shopping Complex’ category. Fast forward to today, sadly, the mall’s popularity has declined, and it can no longer compete with newer shopping centres such as Pavilion KL and The Exchange TRX.
While it’s no longer the popular spot it once was, Sungei Wang Plaza remains a historical landmark. Thankfully, with Mega Star Arena, it continues to be a popular venue for events and concerts. Who knows, perhaps in the future, the mall will undergo another refurbishment or even rebranding to keep up with its competitors.
Sources: WHWDesign, SungeiWang, Instagram, TheEdgeMalaysia, YouTube, SinChew
