Singapore | Merlion Park

Merlion Park

Of all the seven approved Merlion statues in Singapore, the original sculpture and its cub in the Merlion Park are the most well-known all over the world.

It is a statue with special meaning for Singapore. The body symbolises Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village, also known as Temasek, meaning 'sea town' in Old Javanese. Its head, on the other hand, represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or "lion city" in Malay.

Built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng, the 8.6-metre tall Merlion statue weighs 70 tonnes. It was unveiled on 15 September 1972 by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to welcome all visitors to Singapore.