Merlion

Introduction:
The Merlion, the mascot of Singapore, has the head of the lion and the body of the fish. It's name combines the word "mer", the sea, and "lion". The fish body represents the past of Singapore, back then when it was a fishing village. The lion head represents the present Singapore, Singapura, or lion city.

The symbol was designed by Fraser Brunner, a member of the Souvenir Committee, for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board. Although the STB changed their logo in 1997, the STB Act still protects the use of the Merlion symbol.

There are only 5 Merlion statues that are officially recognized by the STB

1. The original statue at Merlion Park

2. A 2-meter tall cub statue behind the original

3. A 37-meter tall replica at Sentosa

4. A 3-meter tall glazed polymarble statue at Tourism court

5. A 3-meter tall polymarble statue on Mount Faber's Faber point
Original statue

History:

From November 1971 to August 1972, Mr Lim Nan Seng, the late Singapore craftsman was working on the Merlion. On 15 September 1972, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew officiated the installation ceremony of the Merlion statue. The original Merlion statue used to stand at the mouth of the Singapore River. After the completion of the Esplanade Bridge, it block the views from the Merlion to the Marina Bay Waterfront so in 2002, the statue and its cub were relocated to the Merlion Park.

Directions:
One can take a bus to alight at the Fullerton Square bus top and take the Fullerton Hotel's underpass to reach Merlion Park. If one is traveling by MRT, one can alight at Raffles Place Interchange. Crossing Battery Road after you alight at the MRT would take you to Fullerton Hotel. Click on the link below to see a map
Map for Merlion Park
(it might take awhile to load)