The Merlion Statue In Singapore Will Be Demolished. The last chance to visit and see this statue is October 20, 2019. What is the reason?

According to the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), the iconic 37-meter-tall statue of a lion-headed fish located on Sentosa Island will be demolished after October 20. The demolition date has not been confirmed, because it depends on the next project's construction plans.

Instead, a connecting road between Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and the beaches south of Sentosa will be built as a new tourist attraction. This project is the first phase of the Sentosa-Brani master plan which Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong mentioned in his speech on National Day 2019.

The Sentosa-Brani Masterplan aims to connect Sentosa Island and Brani Island to become a new tourist and recreational destination. The Sentosa Sensoryscape project, which will cost $90 million Singapore dollars and is slated for completion in 2022, will construct a 30,000 m2 link road spanning two levels. The two islands will be divided into five zones that will have a distinctive and unique character.

• The Vibrant Cluster, which spans both islands, will have large-scale attractions.

• Island Heart will feature a hotel, conference room, dining room and retail outlets.

• The waterfront on Pulau Brani will have a Discovery Park.

• Ridgeline will connect the green space from Mount Faber to Imbiah and feature natural attractions and cultural heritage.

• The beachfront on Sentosa beach will be rejuvenated with water shows, playgrounds and other attractions.

Merlion is Singapore's mascot. The Merlion statue on Sentosa island has long been an iconic tourist attraction since it was first inaugurated in 1995. This Merlion statue is the largest and tallest in Singapore, where visitors are allowed to climb 12 floors to see the view of Singapore from the statue's mouth or head. At the time, it cost $8 million Singapore dollars to build the statue designed by James Martin of Australia.

For tourists who want to take pictures with the Merlion statue, there are still other Merlion statues located at Merlion Park on the Singapore River which are the most visited by tourists, Mount Faber, Tourism Court and Ang Mo Kio.