The Merlion Park in Singapore is spread out on a 2,500 square meter area and is situated alongside the striking One Fullerton in the bustling Central Business District area of the city.
History of the Merlion Park in Singapore
Merlion park in singapore was designed in 1964 as an emblem for the Singapore Tourism Board. It was officially inaugurated at the installation ceremony of the Merlion statue on 15th September, 1972 by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, erstwhile Prime Minister of Singapore. The colossal Merlion statue was conceptualized by Kwan Sai Kheong, the vice-chancellor of the University of Singapore, and brought to life by the late Singapore sculptor, Lim Nah Seng in 1972. The entire expenditure of the project was approximated to have been around S$165,000.
Originally the statue was erected at the mouth of the Singapore River, near the present Fullerton Waterboat House Garden. However, after the construction of the Esplanade Bridge, the view of the sculpture got hindered from the Marina Bay Waterfront and thus, it had to be shifted to its present location, close to the hotel One Fullerton. Now, one can enjoy the breathtaking sight of the Merlion against the picturesque Marina Bay and the city skyline from the viewing deck of the Park. The Merlion Park also boasts of a promontory equipped with a boat landing point as well as a terraced seating.
Merlion Park Attractions
Merlion Park houses two Merlion statues – one stands at a height of 8.6 meters and weighs 70 tons, and the other is a 2 meter tall Merlion cub, which stands right behind the main statue. The body of the statues is made of cement, with porcelain finish for skin and small red teacups for eyes. The most magnificent archetypal mascot of Singapore, the Merlion is a water-spouting statue of a fictional creature possessing the head of a lion and the body of a fish, resting on a crest of blue waves. Its name is a conjunction of two words- ‘mer’ which means the sea, and ‘lion’.
The head of the lion, whose Sanskrit translation is ‘Singa’ represents the original name of Singapore- Singapura which mean ‘lion city’. The body of the fish symbolizes the history of Singapore, that is, Singapore’s humble origins as a fishing village named “Temasek”.
When is Merlion Park Open
The Merlion Park is open to the public 24 hours daily, all year round. The whimsical sculpture has enraptured both the natives as well as over one million tourists that visit Singapore every year making Singapore one of the top tourism destinations of the world.
The Merlion, ever since its conception, has become a deep-rooted part of every conceivable aspect of Singapore. It has been featured innumerable times in art and culture, literature, gaming, animation industry, etc. Singapore has three more Merlions apart from the two located at Merlion Park. They are situated at Sentosa, Mount Faber and Tourism Court.