The Sha Tin New Town Plaza's musical fountain, a Hong Kong landmark admired by millions over the past two decades, is about to be pulled down. But shoppers need not panic: the plaza's developers say the fountain, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, will be relocated due to its 'strong sentimental value'. Built in 1984, the gaudy indoor computerised musical fountain is truly a wonder to behold. Equipped with 450 nozzles and 110 underwater lights, it is capable of creating up to 72 patterns in a performance, with water shooting up as high as eight metres. Yellow, blue and green lights dance in unison. Sun Hung Kai Properties said the fountain, a favourite Sha Tin meeting place, would be pulled down from September 1 as part of its $300 million renovation of Phase 1 of the New Town Plaza, the biggest facelift of its shopping malls in recent years. It will be moved outdoors, but the company said it had not yet decided on a new site. Its reappearance could be delayed up to two years. Sun Hung Kai said the renovations were intended to improve the facilities and create a more spacious, modern environment at the plaza. The work will be carried out in three stages and is expected to be completed in two years. To mark the closure of the fountain, a 'Light up the City' laser show at the musical fountain was launched yesterday. The daily laser show will run until the fountain's final day of operation, August 31, when there will be a live performance by the Sha Tin Philharmonic Orchestra. A countdown clock has been mounted by the fountain. Sun Hung Kai Properties executive director Chan Kai-ming said that since New Town Plaza opened in 1984 it had been one of the most popular malls in Hong Kong and was one of the largest leisure and retail centres in Asia. He said the plaza had undergone previous renovations on varying scales to inject new elements and sustain its attraction to shoppers. Mr Chan said the company hoped to draw mainland tourists by 'expanding our promotional activities in major cities on the mainland and planning a series of campaigns in shopping malls'.