 Kong Chian Cinema was the first of the two cinemas opened for the Toa Payoh HDB estate since 1972, the other one being the Toa Payoh Theatre.The 1,500 seat cinema was designed by the architect Hor Cheok Foon, it was built and handled by Chiew Kong Chian Association, a Kuala Lumpur-based company, as part of the Toa Payoh development plan initiated by HDB.The cinema was opened on 11 May 1972 with the charity premier of the Hong Kong movie, "The Loner" (半生牛馬), which helped to raise funds for Chung Hwa Free Hospital in Toa Payoh.