Merlion Park Guide: Everything you need to know about it

The Merlion is Singapore’s most famous tourist attraction; a lion with a fishtail, as if it were a feline mermaid, in the Merlion Park. The “lion” (Singha) was there when an ancient prince from Sumatra first set foot on the island, and the “fish” (koi) is a tribute to Singapore’s history as a port city.

One million people per year visit the park, which is part of Fullerton Heritage. The Merlion, which had formerly resided in the Fullerton Waterboat House, was given its own dedicated space here (with the construction of the Esplanade Bridge, it was left without a view). The relocation was conducted in 2002.

Singapore’s Merlion statue is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, yet getting a good picture of it is nearly hard. Merlion, the half-fish, half-lion national symbol of Singapore, was created and has grown in popularity only as a result of the country’s tourist industry and administration.

There are no set times to see the Merlion, but it is very pretty when the sun is setting and the buildings in Marina Bay are lit up.

The park has a tiny port where water taxis may be boarded.

The 2011 Singapore Biennale included a one-room hotel next to the Merlion statue where visitors could spend the night with the mythical sea creature.

The Singapore Merlion has nothing to do with mythology. The Merlion is a designer’s vision, funded by the Singapore Ministry of Tourism in 1964. In other places, a similar species called the lionfish can also be found (for example, on the coat of arms of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines).

The official opening of the Merlion Park took place during the statue installation ceremony, which was led by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Lion City Singapore and the Merlion Lionfish:

Even though his given name is Merlion (not to be mistaken with the seal subfamily), most people refer to him as Merlion (not to be confused with King Arthur’s magician, Merlin). At one time, the island was known as Temasek, a reference to its origins as a fishing community (sea city).

The Sanskrit words “singa” (lion) and “pura” (city) combine to form the modern name Singapore, which means “lion city” (city). Every Singapore $1 note features an image of a lion, while a one-dollar coin features a statue of the Merlion.

There are currently seven Merlion statues in Singapore, so let’s have a look at that. The most prominent is situated near the mouth of the Singapore River on Marina Bay Embankment on the embankment of Marina Bay (Merlion Park). In truth, there are two statues at the same time.

Water is gushing from the Merlion’s mouth. In the shadows, a 2-meter-and-3-ton sea lion pup, known as a lion cub, lurks.

After Singapore gained independence in 1965, the city’s logo was created, with the merlion at its heart. A concrete statue of him was created by a local sculptor in the early 1970s and placed near the river’s mouth.

The 70-ton monument was relocated to the bay’s embankment in 2002. This nine-meter-high sculpture fountain is now the center of the park and the symbol of the city. Because it faces east, according to Feng Shui, this is the direction that bestows wealth. The city’s talisman’s exact position has been established throughout contemporary Singapore’s history.

There is a smaller Merlion statue in the park that weighs three tonnes and is around two meters tall. On Sentosa Island, a large prototype of the statue was built.

The museum, cinema, and two viewing platforms are all housed in this 37-meter tower. A lion’s mouth and a lion’s head are both positioned on the ninth story of the building. Tourists flock to the monument on Sentosa Island for laser shows and musical performances.

Merlion Park’s centerpiece, the statue fountain, is impressive not just because of its grandeur but also because of the unique harmony and originality it exhibits. It decorates the bank and shows how big this one country is.

Curious facts about the Merlion statue on the Marina Bay waterfront:

• Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s speech at the attraction’s official opening in 1972 shows that Singapore’s government wants the tourism industry to grow.
• Once upon a time, Marina Bay in Singapore was a busy port, and the monument stood 120 meters upstream to welcome ship passengers.
• As a result, in 2002, the 70-ton statue was relocated to its current place on the Marina Bay embankment, where it has remained ever since.
• The Merlion statue was struck by lightning in 2009, causing some damage (which was swiftly restored); and
• For many days at a time, the Merlion monument is shielded from the public view by high panels in order to be cleaned of green algae that have settled on its snow-white surface.
• Prior to sunrise, it is possible to get a photo of the Merlion monument without being crowded with people.

How do I get to Merlion Park?

By MRT:

Take the East-West Line of the MRT to get to Raffles Place station. Leave the United Overseas Bank Plaza and walk behind the Fullerton Hotel to Merlion Park.

By Bus:

To get to Merlion Park, take the 10, 100, or 75 bus.

Other Merlion statues in Singapore:

The biggest Merlion statue in the world is located on Sentosa Island, Singapore, and is 37 meters tall. At the statue, however, you may peer out from a lion’s mouth, ring the bell of good fortune, receive a coin of happiness and go to the observation deck, which offers a 360-degree view for a cost of $12 Singapore dollars an adult and $9 Singapore dollars for a kid. 1.2533383, and 103.81886 are the GPS coordinates.

On Mount Faber, there is another Merlion monument that you may photograph if you ride the cable car from Sentosa. 1.273426, 103.817726 are the GPS coordinates.

Other Merlion statues are out of the way and no longer of interest to tourists.

Reference:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion_Park

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