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.
The original sculpture and its cub are the most well-known among the seven approved Merlion statues in Singapore.
See if you can spot the rest on your trip here: there’s a giant version on Sentosa, one at Tourism Court near Grange Road and another at Mount Faber.