Landmark – The Merlion, Singapore
The Merlion is a mythical creature of half lion and fish. It has been Singapore’s symbol worldwide since 1966 and is trademarked.
The mythical creature has also been the coat of arms for the cities of Portsmouth and Great Yarmouth in the United Kingdom and the City of Manila, Philippines.
But through the years, the Merlion has come to be identified more to Singapore worldwide.
The structure was sculpted by Lim Nang Seng from 1971-72 and measures 8.6 meters high. It is made from cement and the skin from porcelain plates.
The significance of the Merlion to Singapore can be explained by its name. The Merlion solemnized the ancient name and legend which explains the present name of Singapore from the Malay Annals’ literary and historical work.
The Merlion fronting Marina Bay Hotel
History told us that Singapore’s old names was Tamasek which means sea, that in the 4th century, the city was destroyed by the Siamese or to other historians by Javanese, that when it was rediscovered, they saw a strange beast which later on described as a lion, and upon its redicovery, they named the land Singapura which in Sanskrit meaning Lion City.
Thus the name ‘mer’ which means sea and the beast discovered a lion, the Merlion, became Singpore’s symbol.
Today you can see Singapore’s symbol the Merlion at the Merlion Park and to most of the readers who didn’t know the Merlion’s gender, the mythical symbol of Singapore is a male.
The Merlion, a symbol to welcome all visitors to Singapore, has since moved. On 15 September 2002, it settled into its new home at Merlion Park, located next to One Fullerton, overlooking scenic Marina Bay, with the park opened by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
The symbol was designed for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board.
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