Merlion

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.