TANG Dynasty City, a run-down attraction in Jurong, will finally be a thing of the past when it is levelled in January to make way for a new development.

The $100-million theme park which spans the size of 18 football fields was one of the grandest attractions in Singapore in its heydays. It was modelled after the Tang Dynasty capital in Chang-An.

It opened with great fanfare in 1992 but the combination of Asian financial crisis, high admission charges and lacklustre exhibits led to its closure in 1999.

It was about to get a new lease on life in April when a consortium of three Singaporean companies announced plans to build a Shaolin-style health retreat there, modelled after the famed temple and monastery in China. But that was abruptly canned when landlord JTC put out notice seeking contractors to carry out the demolition works.

A JTC spokesman confirmed that the attraction will be levelled in January.

Plans for the Shaolin retreat have been put on hold for now, said a representative of Siloso Beach Resort, one of three partners in the consortium. He added that they are looking for a new location.

It is unclear what is being planned for that site. But the Singapore Tourism Board director of communications Muhamad Rostam Umar said the statutory board is redeveloping the entire Jurong area into a "destination that is attractive to both tourists and locals".

The Straits Times asked industry experts what they think would be most suitable for the 12-ha area, which could be developed to include the Jurong Lake and surrounding Chinese and Japanese gardens.