Merlion

머라이언

The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore: an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Its name joins "mer", meaning sea, with "lion". The most famous Merlion is an 8.6-metre statue in Merlion Park, at the mouth of the Singapore River on Marina Bay, which spouts a long stream of water from its mouth.

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At a glance

Country: Singapore
Location: Singapore
Built: 1972
Height: 8.6 m
Type: Statue

Quick answers

Where is Merlion?

Merlion is in Singapore.

When was Merlion built?

Merlion was built in 1972.

How tall is Merlion?

Merlion is about 8.6 m tall.

Singapore's mascot, a lion-headed fish that spouts water into Marina Bay.

Each half has a meaning. The fish body recalls Singapore's beginnings as a fishing village called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head stands for the country's name, Singapura, meaning "lion city". The Merlion appears on souvenirs, sports teams and advertising, and has become a symbol of both the city and its people. The tourism board protects the symbol, so it can only be used with permission.

History

The Merlion started as a logo. In 1964 it was designed by Alec Fraser-Brunner, a fish expert who ran Singapore's Van Kleef Aquarium, for what is now the Singapore Tourism Board. The big statue came later: it was planned by Kwan Sai Kheong, a university leader, and built from November 1971 to August 1972 by the local sculptor Lim Nang Seng, with help from his eight children. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew unveiled it on 15 September 1972. It weighs about 70 tonnes and cost about 165,000 Singapore dollars.

The big move

In 1997 a new bridge, the Esplanade Bridge, blocked the view of the Merlion from Marina Bay, and its water pump had broken. So in April 2002 the whole statue was moved about 120 metres to a new, larger Merlion Park in front of the Fullerton Hotel. It was lifted onto a barge by giant cranes, and because it was too tall to fit under the bridge, it had to be hoisted up and over it. Exactly 30 years after the first ceremony, Lee Kuan Yew welcomed it to its new home.

Visiting today

The Merlion now faces east, a direction thought to bring good luck, with a fresh water pump system and a spare pump always ready. A viewing deck over the river lets visitors take photos with the statue and the city skyline behind it. Just behind it stands a smaller two-metre statue nicknamed the "Merlion cub". There are a few other official Merlions around Singapore, including one at Mount Faber.

Fun facts

The fish body recalls Singapore's past as a fishing village, and the lion head its old name 'Singapura', meaning Lion City.
The Merlion began as a tourism logo in 1964, eight years before the big statue was built.
The sculptor's eight children helped make it: the older ones worked on its eyes, the younger ones carved the scales and fins.
In 2002 the 70-tonne statue was lifted over a bridge by cranes to reach its new home.
On 28 February 2009 the Merlion was struck by lightning, which cracked its mane; it was repaired within three weeks.