Eng Wah Global facts for kids

Eng Wah Global is a company from Singapore. It used to be called Eng Wah Organisation. This company does many things, like showing movies, owning buildings, running hotels, and offering fun lifestyle activities. They operate in both Singapore and Malaysia.

The Story of Eng Wah Global

How Eng Wah Started

Eng Wah Global began a long time ago in 1946. A man named Goh Eng Wah and his friend started a business. They wanted to bring movies from Shanghai to Singapore. They rented a stage at Happy World Amusement Park. Later, they made it into a proper cinema called Victory Theatre.

Expanding the Cinema Business

By the late 1960s, Goh Eng Wah created Eng Wah Theatres Organisation. He opened more cinemas, like Jubilee Hall at Raffles Hotel in 1966. King's Theatre at Tiong Bahru opened in 1968.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Eng Wah opened cinemas in new towns. These included Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Clementi, and Kallang. This big growth helped Eng Wah become a top company for showing and sharing films.

In 1988, Eng Wah started running Marina Theatre. This was their first cinema in downtown Singapore.

Becoming a Public Company

On July 7, 1994, Eng Wah became the first cinema company to be listed on the SGX. This meant people could buy shares in the company. At this time, it was called Eng Wah Organisation.

They also changed their single-screen cinemas into bigger entertainment centers. This happened in Clementi (1995), Ang Mo Kio (1996), and Toa Payoh (1997). They even teamed up with Shaw to manage a four-screen cinema at Lot 1 Shoppers Mall in 1996.

In the late 1990s, the company opened more cinemas in newer towns. These were in Bukit Batok (1998), Pasir Ris (1997), and Sembawang (2000). They also opened their first big cinema in downtown Suntec City in 1998.

New Technology and Services

In the early 2000s, Eng Wah was a leader in new ideas. They were the first cinema in Singapore to offer an online loyalty program. It was called "Friends of Eng Wah." They also offered a service to get movie times by SMS in 2002.

Eng Wah was also the first cinema outside the United States to use a full 2K Digital Cinema system. They were the first in the world to show a movie using this new digital system in 2004. They soon had the most 2K Digital Cinemas in the world.

In 2007, Eng Wah was one of the first to show 4D Digital cinema technology. They did this with the movie Spider-Man 3 on May 1, 2007, at Suntec City.

Changes and Rebranding

In 2008, the company made some big business changes. They sold some properties to Mr. Goh Eng Wah's company for $99.5 million.

In the early 2010s, Eng Wah announced plans to spend $100 million. This money was used to update their cinemas and open Hotel Fort Canning. Eng Wah Cinemas then changed its name to WE Cinemas in 2011. This happened after their Suntec City cinema was renovated.

In 2015, the 321 Clementi cinema opened. This was after a two-year break from running cinemas. Their West Mall and Suntec City locations had closed earlier.

Special Events and Awards

Since 2007, Eng Wah has been a main partner for Singapore's National Day Parade. In 2010, the company was the first to support Singapore's bid for the Youth Olympic Games. In 2012, WE Cinemas hosted the F!rst Film Fest at Suntec City. This event celebrated their first birthday. It was a short film competition with the Institute of Technical Education.

Eng Wah has also won several awards:

• In 2005, they were named among the top 100 Asian companies by CIO Asia.
• In 2006, Eng Wah Suntec was praised for its great service, snack bar, and sound.
• They won the SPBA Heritage Brand Award in 2006.
• In 2010, Eng Wah was chosen as one of the "100 Singapore Icons." This means their logo is important to Singapore's history and culture.

Eng Wah Global's Businesses

Eng Wah Global runs different types of businesses. These include shopping malls, hotels, and cinemas.

Shopping Malls

Eng Wah Global owns two shopping malls. They are called Jubilee Square and 321 Clementi. These malls are in the heartland towns of Ang Mo Kio and Clementi.

Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre

In 1972, Eng Wah opened the Toa Payoh Cinema. In 1997, it became the Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre. This center had shops and a five-screen cinema. However, fewer people bought movie tickets and visited the center. So, it closed in 2010. The building was later sold and renamed ERA Centre.

Jubilee Square

The Jubilee Cinema opened in Ang Mo Kio in 1979. In 1996, it became the Jubilee Entertainment Centre. This center had more shops and a four-screen cinema. But it faced strong competition from another cinema nearby. So, the cinema closed to make more room for shops. In 2012, the renovated mall opened as Jubilee Square.

321 Clementi

The Empress Cinema opened in Clementi in 1981. In 1995, it became the Empress Cineplex. This center had a three-screen cinema and shops. It closed in 2006 for a big renovation. The new mall, called 321 Clementi, opened in 2015.

Jubilee Square

Location	Ang Mo Kio, Singapore
Opening date	1979
No. of stores and services	26
No. of floors	4

Hotels

Eng Wah Global owns three hotel properties. Two are in Singapore: Hotel Fort Canning and The Legends Fort Canning Park. One is in Malaysia.

Hotel Fort Canning
Former names	Administration Building of the British Far East Command Headquarters Singapore Command and Staff College Fort Canning Country Club
General information
Type	Boutique Hotel
Architectural style	Low-rise
Location	11 Canning Walk, Fort Canning Downtown Core, Singapore
Opening	2010

Cinemas (WE Cinemas)

WE Cinemas is a cinema company in Singapore. It is managed by Eng Wah Global Pte Ltd. It used to be known as Eng Wah Cinemas. The name changed in April 2011.

WE Cinemas currently has one cinema in Singapore.

Cinema	Screens	Seats	Location	Opened	2K Digital	3D Digital	First Class
321 Clementi	10	728	Clementi	2015	Y	Y	Y

Past Cinema Locations

Here are some places where Eng Wah Cinemas used to operate:

See also

• List of cinemas in Singapore
• Cathay Cineplexes
• Golden Village
• Shaw Theatres