Merlion

The Merlion is a famous symbol of Singapore.

It has the head of a lion. It also has the body of a fish. The fish part shows the land was once a fishing village.

The lion head shows the old name for the city. It means "lion city." This special creature can spit water from its mouth. Many people visit to see the big statue.

It is a very fun sight to see!

The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore.

It is a mythical creature with a lion head and a fish body. The fish part honors Singapore's past as a fishing village. The lion head honors the name Singapura, which means "lion city."

Alec Fraser-Brunner designed the symbol. It was used as a logo for tourism. The main statue is very large. It is 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons.

In 2002, workers moved the big statue to a new home at Merlion Park. They used a barge and two large cranes. This move cost $7.5 million. The statue can spit water from its mouth. It uses a two-unit water pump system. This way, there is always a backup pump ready. There are other Merlion statues in Singapore too. One is a small "Merlion cub." It is decorated with Chinese porcelain plates and bowls. Other statues stand on Mount Faber and at Tourism Court.

The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore.

It is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. This symbol represents both the city and its people. It appears in sports, advertising, and tourism. The name comes from two words. "Mer" means the sea. "Lion" refers to the head. The fish body honors Singapore's history as a fishing village called Temasek. This name means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head honors the original name, Singapura. This means "lion city."

Designing the Merlion was a careful job. Alec Fraser-Brunner created the symbol for the Singapore Tourism Board. He was a member of the Souvenir Committee. He also worked at the Van Kleef Aquarium. The symbol was used as a logo starting in 1964. It became a trademarked symbol on July 20, 1966. Later, Kwan Sai Kheong helped conceptualize the Merlion. The sculptor Lim Nang Seng built the statue between 1971 and 1972.

The main statue is quite large and heavy. It stands 8.6 meters high. It weighs 70 tons. The project cost about S$165,000 to build. In 1972, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew helped install it. The statue originally stood at the mouth of the Singapore River. However, new buildings and land work changed the view. In 2002, the statue had to move to a new home.

Moving the Merlion was a huge task. It took two days in April 2002. Workers used one barge and two massive cranes. These cranes could lift 5000 tonnes each. A team of 20 people managed the move. The statue was too tall to go under the Esplanade Bridge. Workers had to lift it over the bridge. The new site cost S$7.5 million.

Now, the Merlion faces East. This direction is considered very auspicious. It also uses a two-unit water pump system. This ensures water always spouts from its mouth.

Many different Merlions exist in Singapore. There is a 2-meter "Merlion cub" made of Chinese porcelain. Other statues are at Tourism Court and Mount Faber. A huge 37-meter replica once stood at Sentosa. The Merlion is also famous in stories and games. It appears in the anime Cowboy Bebop. It is even a kart in Mario Kart Tour.

Poets like Edwin Thumboo have written about it too. The Merlion remains a famous part of culture.

The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore. It is a mythical creature featuring the head of a lion and the body of a fish.

This symbol serves as a national personification for the city-state and its people. It appears frequently in advertising, branding, tourism, and sports. The name is a combination of "mer," meaning the sea, and "lion." The fish body represents Singapore's origins as a fishing village known as Temasek. In Javanese, Temasek means "sea town." The lion head represents the original name of the island, Singapura. This translates to "lion city" or "kota singa."

The design of the Merlion symbol began with Alec Fraser-Brunner. He was a member of the Souvenir Committee and a curator at the Van Kleef Aquarium. He designed the symbol for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The STB used this logo from March 26, 1964, until 1997. The symbol became a trademarked icon on July 20, 1966. Later, the Merlion was conceptualized by Kwan Sai Kheong, the vice-chancellor of the University of Singapore. The sculptor Lim Nang Seng constructed the physical statue between November 1971 and August 1972.

The original Merlion statue is a massive structure. It stands 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons. The construction project cost approximately S$165,000. On September 15, 1972, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew officiated the installation ceremony. The statue was originally placed at the mouth of the Singapore River in Merlion Park. However, several factors eventually made this location difficult to maintain. The completion of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997 blocked views from the Marina Bay waterfront. Land reclamation works also changed the entrance to the Singapore River. Additionally, a water pump malfunction in 1998 stopped the statue from spouting water.

To fix these issues, officials decided to relocate the statue. Many sites were considered, including Esplanade Park and Marina Centre. Ultimately, a new site was chosen on a newly reclaimed promontory in front of the Fullerton Hotel. This new location is known as Merlion Park. The relocation took place over two days, from April 23 to April 25, 2002. The move was a complex engineering feat that cost S$7.5 million.

The move required specialized equipment and a skilled team. Workers used one barge and two DEMAG AC1600S cranes. Each crane had a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes. A team of 20 engineers and workers managed the operation. Because the statue was too tall to pass under the Esplanade Bridge, it had to be hoisted over it. The statue was eventually placed in a position facing East, which is considered an auspicious direction. It now uses a two-unit water pump system. This setup allows one unit to act as a backup if the other fails.

Singapore hosts several different Merlion statues. The 8.6-meter original stands at Merlion Park. Nearby, a smaller two-meter statue called the "Merlion cub" weighs 3 tons. This cub features a design inlaid with Chinese porcelain plates and bowls. Other statues include a three-meter polymarble version at Tourism Court and another on Mount Faber. A very large 37-meter replica once existed on Sentosa. This giant version could shine laser beams from its eyes.

The Merlion has also entered the world of art and popular culture. In literature, the poet Edwin Thumboo wrote "Ulysses by the Merlion" in 1979. This poem helped establish the Merlion as a national icon. However, some later poets have written "anti-Merlion" poems. They sometimes view the symbol as an artificial tourist attraction. The Merlion also appears in various media. It is featured in the anime "Cowboy Bebop" and the game "Mario Kart Tour." Even the animated movie "My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission" includes a hero inspired by the Merlion.