Merlion

Merlion is a famous symbol of Singapore, a mythical creature with the body of a fish and the head of a lion. The lion symbolizes strength and fearlessness, while Merlion’s fish body emphasizes Singapore’s close connection to the sea.

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Highlights

The sculpture is cast in concrete, 8.6 meters high, weighs 70 tons, and cost a then considerable sum of S$165,000 to build. The name “Merlion” is made up of two English words: “mer” is short for “mermaid” – mermaid, “lion” – lion.

The Merlion statue was formerly located at the Esplanade Bridge. The 2,500 square meter area around the figure was transformed into a park, appropriately named: Merlion Park. However, having become extremely popular with tourists, the Merlion figure was moved 120 meters from its original location, and is now located next to the One Fullerton Hotel.

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History

The Merlayon Statue in Singapore is based on the city’s emblem, designed in 1964 by Fraser Brunner and commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board. Cast in concrete, the statue is 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons and is set at the mouth of the Singapore River. On September 15, 1972, the opening ceremony of Merlayon Park was held, attended by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. On Sentosa Island, there is a 37-meter replica of the original statue in a recreational park.

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In 1997, after the completion of the Esplanade Bridge, the statue was no longer visible from the sea, blocked by the bridge structures. In 2002, the statue and pedestal were moved by barge 120 meters downriver and installed in front of the Fullerton Hotel.

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On February 28, 2009, around 4:30 am, the city’s symbol was struck by lightning, destroying part of the statue. To date, the statue has been fully restored.

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Legend

The image of Merlayon was spawned by an ancient legend about the birth of Singapore. According to the legend, a huge monster with a lion’s head and a body like a fish lived in the sea and guarded the island. When the ancient city could have been destroyed by a violent storm, Merlayon swam out into the light and prevented the city’s destruction – his eyes lit up with red light and sizzled the source of danger. To immortalize this event, the inhabitants in gratitude began to call the island Singapore (“singa pura” – city of lions). This version looks more like a beautiful legend for tourists, but it still traces the truth of where the name came from.

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The Malaysian chronicle “Serjara Melayu” tells the story of Sang Nila Utama, the first king of Malaysia. After receiving the title Sri Tri Buan (from the Sanskrit “Lord of the Three Worlds”), he left the ancient Sumatrian city of Palembang for the island of Bintan, where Queen Sadikar Shah ruled.

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On one of the island’s hills, the king spotted another island with sand of an unusually white color. He was told by the inhabitants that it was the island of Tumasik (or Temasek) – which was the present day Singapore. The king set out to explore the unknown island. A Malayan chronicle says: “After coming ashore, the king saw an unusual beast, with a black head, white breast, and red body. It was strong and swift, larger than a goat. When the beast saw the people, it immediately disappeared into the thicket of the forest.” Sri Tri Buan was amazed by what he saw, no one could tell him the name of the unusual animal. But an old man was able to tell from the description of the beast that it was a lion.

The king decided to settle in a land where such strong animals are found. It was Sri Tri Buan who renamed the island as Singapore, which literally means “City of Lions”. The king settled on the island and established a colony where he successfully ruled for 48 years. This legend is still questioned by some, because Singapore could have been named after “Singkha” and “Pura”, which means “stop” and “city”. This version may be closer to the truth, because there is a modern island Bintan near Singapore, archaeologists have proved that in the south of the island was exactly white sand. So there is a possibility that the beautiful legend has a true basis.

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Other Merlayon statues

There are a total of 5 Merlayon statues in Singapore, with another one in Silicon Valley, California, USA. Of these, the 2 most famous are the first statue on the waterfront in the form of a fountain, and its huge 37-meter prototype on Sentosa Island. This object is designed to attract tourists, it will surprise everyone.

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The huge statue houses a movie theater, a store with souvenirs, a museum of the history of the city, several observation decks overlooking the metropolis. Upstairs, visitors are taken by elevator, where at the very top you can stand in the jaws of the lion and admire the beauty of the city. The statue rises 60 meters above sea level, from the height you can see the neighborhood of Sentosa and the majestic skyscrapers of downtown Singapore. There are a total of 2 observation decks on the statue – on the 9th and 12th floor. One is placed in the mouth and the other on the head of the lion. The height of the statue has contributed to the equipment of observatories inside. The Merlayon on Sentosa is the center of entertainment for tourists, it is near it that they hold the famous laser show with fountains and music every night.

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How to get there

The closest subway station to Merlayon is Raffles Place.

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You can also get there by cab and buses 10, 10e, 57, 70, 75, 100, 107, 107, 128, 130, 131, 162, 167, 167, 196, 196e, 531 to Fullerton Sq.

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