Merlion Park

The History of Merlion
The original Merlion Park was first designed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) near the mouth of the Singapore River in 1964 as an emblem of Singapore. On 15 September 1972, the park was officially opened at an installation ceremony for the statue, officiated at by then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. The original statue of the Merlion used to stand at the mouth of the Singapore River. The building of the Merlion was started in November 1971 and was completed in August 1972. It was crafted by the late Singaporean sculptor, Mr Lim Nang Seng and his 8 children. The sculpture measures 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons.

Did you know?
The Merlion statue faces east, which is believed to be a direction that brings prosperity. This auspicious orientation was preserved even after its relocation in 2002 to the Merlion Park.

You’ve probably seen images of Singapore’s national icon, the mythical Merlion with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.

A fishy tale
The Merlion's body symbolises Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which comes from the same root as the word tasek ('lake' in Malay).
Its head represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or ‘lion city’ in Malay.

Today, you can glimpse this legend at Merlion Park. Spouting water from its mouth, the Merlion statue stands tall at 8.6 metres and weighs 70 tonnes.

This icon is a must-see for tourists visiting Singapore, similar to other significant landmarks around the world.

Built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng, it was unveiled on 15 September 1972 by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the mouth of the Singapore River, to welcome all visitors to Singapore.

On the move
With the completion of Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the statue could no longer be viewed clearly from the waterfront.

So in 2002, the Merlion was relocated 120 metres away from the original position to where it stands in Merlion Park today, in front of Fullerton Hotel and overlooking Marina Bay.

The park also houses a smaller Merlion statue. Known as the ‘Merlion cub’, it stands at two metres tall and weighs three tonnes.

The original sculpture and its cub are the most well-known among the seven approved Merlion statues in Singapore.
See if you can spot the rest on your trip here: there's one at Tourism Court near Grange Road and another at Mount Faber.

Merlion Park, Singapore

• Address: Singapore
• Area: 2,500 m²
• Established: 25 April 2002; 17 years ago
• Status: Open