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The vote allows the statue, inspired by a character created by Hans Christian Andersen in an 1837 fairytale, to leave the city from April to November 2010 and head to China.
The decision is contentious in Denmark, where Edvard Eriksen's 1913 sculpture, measuring 125 centimetres (50 inches) and weighing 175 kilos (385 pounds), is considered a national treasure and is today one of the Scandinavian country's main tourist attractions.
Social Democratic member of the council Hamid El Mousti said the Little Mermaid "will not feel homesick on her long sea voyage because she will be in her natural element, bathed in water from the Copenhagen port."
The sculpture is to be the centrepiece of the Danish pavillion in Shanghai. It will be set in the middle of a large pool of water from the Copenhagen port to show off that the water is clean enough to swim in, according to the city hall.
According to a recent poll however, six out of 10 Danes think the sculpture should stay at home.
"The Little Mermaid must remain in Copenhagen because it is her place and thousands of tourists will be terribly disappointed not to find her during her long eight-month absence," deputy mayor for culture Pia Allerslev said during the debate.
Carl Christian Ebbesen, a city council member from the far-right, nationalist Danish People's Party, a fierce opponent of letting the Little Mermaid leave the capital, described the idea as "insane."
"She symbolises Copenhagen and many tourists will be disappointed that she is not here," he told AFP, also lamenting the city's plans to "spend two million kroner (268,000 euros, 344,000 dollars) on an exhibit to replace her while she's gone at a time when we don't have enough money for social services."
Instead of sending the beloved sculpture to Shanghai, Ebbesen said the city should consider sending a copy or possibly the statue of Hans Christian Andersen that stands next to city hall, "because the Chinese are very enamored with our legendary storyteller."
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The decision is contentious in Denmark, where Edvard Eriksen's 1913 sculpture, measuring 125 centimetres (50 inches) and weighing 175 kilos (385 pounds), is considered a national treasure and is today one of the Scandinavian country's main tourist attractions.
Social Democratic member of the council Hamid El Mousti said the Little Mermaid "will not feel homesick on her long sea voyage because she will be in her natural element, bathed in water from the Copenhagen port."
The sculpture is to be the centrepiece of the Danish pavillion in Shanghai. It will be set in the middle of a large pool of water from the Copenhagen port to show off that the water is clean enough to swim in, according to the city hall.
According to a recent poll however, six out of 10 Danes think the sculpture should stay at home.
"The Little Mermaid must remain in Copenhagen because it is her place and thousands of tourists will be terribly disappointed not to find her during her long eight-month absence," deputy mayor for culture Pia Allerslev said during the debate.
Carl Christian Ebbesen, a city council member from the far-right, nationalist Danish People's Party, a fierce opponent of letting the Little Mermaid leave the capital, described the idea as "insane."
"She symbolises Copenhagen and many tourists will be disappointed that she is not here," he told AFP, also lamenting the city's plans to "spend two million kroner (268,000 euros, 344,000 dollars) on an exhibit to replace her while she's gone at a time when we don't have enough money for social services."
Instead of sending the beloved sculpture to Shanghai, Ebbesen said the city should consider sending a copy or possibly the statue of Hans Christian Andersen that stands next to city hall, "because the Chinese are very enamored with our legendary storyteller."
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