Merlion Park
Meet the myth Half-fish and half-lion, the iconic Merlion resides at the waterfront Merlion Park.
You’ve probably seen images of Singapore’s national icon, the mythical Merlion with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.
You can glimpse this legend at Merlion Park. Spouting water from its mouth, the Merlion statue stands tall at 8.6 metres and weighs 70 tonnes.
This icon is a ‘must-see’ for tourists visiting Singapore, similar to other significant landmarks around the world.
Built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng, it was unveiled on 15 September 1972 by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the mouth of the Singapore River, to welcome all visitors to Singapore.
But with the completion of Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the statue could no longer be viewed clearly from the waterfront.
So in 2002, the Merlion was relocated 120 metres away from the original position to where it stands in Merlion Park today, in front of Fullerton Hotel and overlooking Marina Bay.
The park also houses a smaller Merlion statue. Known as the ‘Merlion cub’, it stands at 2 metres tall and weighs three tonnes.
Today There are five authorised Merlion statues around Singapore.