Five places to visit before they disappear

The world is filled with jaw-dropping sights and while some have survived for centuries, most are not so lucky. Thanks to a combination of global warming and rapid development projects, even more majestic sites are going to disappear soon.

Here are five places to visit before they disappear:

The story behind the white marble mausoleum is well known: Emperor Shah Jahan of India was so heartbroken when his wife died that he undertook the task of building a place for her to rest forever. It took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal and it has been around for more than 400 years.

However, it is feared that it may not last much longer. Even though there were efforts to stop this growing problem, the combination of polluted air and acid rain are turning the white marble walls yellow. Experts warn that the Taj Mahal could collapse within five years.

Cambodia’s best known site, Angkor Wat, is 900-years-old and one of the world’s largest religious monuments. At least 2.1 million tourists visited the popular landmark in 2015 and that is what might be causing Angkor Wat to disappear.

The rise in visitors throughout the years has taken a toll on Angkor Wat. The sandstone steps and carvings on the temple and buildings are wearing away under the feet of the visitors. The drillings around the temple to build hotels is also causing the foundation of the temple to be unstable.

Unfortunately, the Great Wall could be gone within the next 20 years. It is severely threatened by the millions of visitors each year and around 30 per cent of it has already disappeared. The bricks from the Great Wall, especially those engraved with Chinese characters, are often stolen and sold off for profit or used to build homes (yes, really!).

Built in 1977, Rochor Centre is a housing estate that is known for its iconic colourful blocks of flats. There is a wide variety of shops located at Rochor Centre, including provisions shops, hardware stores, kopitiams and beauty salons. It is also where the popular Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is located at.

Regrettably, the Land Transport Authority has announced that Rochor Centre would be demolished early this year for the construction of a new expressway.

58-year-old Dakota Crescent is one of Singapore’s oldest public housing estates and by December this year, it would be one of the last. Being at the estate will make you feel as if you had went back to the 80s with its low-rise, seven-storey flats and Dove playground.

So put these places on your bucket list and visit them at least once before they are gone!