First time visitors to Singapore hoping to get that cliched but essential shot of the iconic Merlion fountain are out of luck for the next few months. In preparation for the half-lion, half-fish’s 40th birthday in September, the city has hidden it from public view as it undergoes a makeover.

According to Singapore officials, cracks will be filled, stains scrubbed off, and the Merlion’s waveform, on which it sits, will be replaced with a new one. The attraction, in front of the city’s famous Fullerton Hotel, will reopen in early September before its birthday on the 15th. The Straits Times reports the 2.5-month closure will be the statue’s longest since it was built in 1972, topping even its 2009 closure for repairs after being hit by lightning. [Read more...]