Merlion Park and the lion-fish symbol of Singapur

Merlion Park on the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapur centres on a single, striking figure: a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, cast as a public fountain against the city’s skyline. The park’s main statue was unveiled on 15 September 1972, and relocated in 2002 to its present promontory beside the waterfront, where it has become one of Singapur’s most recognisable built symbols.

A waterfront stage for Singapur’s lion-fish

Merlion Park occupies reclaimed ground beside Marina Bay, facing the water and the cluster of towers of Singapur’s Central Business District. The park lies at One Fullerton on the seafront, set close to the mouth of the Singapore River where it meets the wide basin of Marina Bay, and within walking distance of the commercial streets and office towers just inland.Merlion Park occupies reclaimed ground Broad steps and terraces descend towards the edge of the bay, forming informal seating and viewing platforms that face the water and frame the main statue as the centrepiece of the open space.Broad steps and terraces descend

The main Merlion stands on a plinth at the bay edge, casting a continuous arc of water out over the harbour. The creature’s design combines a lion’s head with a fish’s body and tail, a hybrid that relates to Singapur’s historical name of “Singapura”, meaning Lion City, and to its early development as a trading settlement by the sea.The creature’s design combines a lion’s head The statue is over 8 m (about 26 ft) tall and weighs many tens of tonnes, giving it an emphatic presence against the low park terraces and anchoring the open space visually against the backdrop of towers.The statue is over 8 m tall

The making and relocation of the Merlion

The Merlion figure was designed by Kwan Sai Kheong, who developed the hybrid creature as an emblem for Singapur’s tourism authority in the late twentieth century. The physical statue was built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng, whose workshop and assistants cast and assembled the concrete form before it was installed near the original mouth of the Singapore River. The statue was unveiled on 15 September 1972 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, marking its formal adoption as a national symbol in the public realm.The figure was designed by Kwan Sai Kheong

Merlion Park in its present layout dates from April 2002, when the main statue and its smaller companion were moved to a newly built pier on the Marina Bay side of the Esplanade Bridge.Merlion Park in its present layout dates from April 2002 The relocation placed the Merlion on a more open waterfront site, in front of the former General Post Office building now known as The Fullerton Hotel, and aligned it with long views across the bay towards landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum.The relocation placed the Merlion on a more open waterfront site The park occupies an area of around 2,500 square metres (about 0.25 ha), laid out as an open promenade and terraces rather than as enclosed lawns.The park occupies an area of around 2,500 square metres

Statues, views and everyday use

Two Merlion statues stand within Merlion Park: the large, water-spouting original and a smaller “Merlion cub” nearby.Two Merlion statues stand within Merlion Park The cub, around 2 m (about 6.5 ft) in height, echoes the main figure’s lion-fish form at a more intimate scale and is set back slightly from the waterfront, adding a second focal point among the terraces and paving.The cub is around 2 m in height Together, the pair mark the park as the principal home of Singapur’s Merlion imagery, a role reinforced by the use of the motif in tourism material and souvenirs across the city.The pair mark the park as the principal home

The terraces and platforms of Merlion Park are oriented to open long views across Marina Bay. From the steps beside the main statue, the skyline takes in structures such as Marina Bay Sands, the Helix Bridge, the ArtScience Museum and the office towers of the Central Business District, set around the curve of the bay.The skyline takes in structures such as Marina Bay Sands Restaurants and cafés line the One Fullerton frontage behind the park, and a jetty extends over the water beside the statue, providing a closer vantage point for viewing the Merlion and the arc of water it projects out over the bay.A jetty extends over the water beside the statue

Visiting Merlion Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Merlion Park stands on the Marina Bay waterfront at One Fullerton in Singapur, beside the mouth of the Singapore River and opposite major landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands. It is reached on foot from nearby districts and by public transport via central MRT stations including Raffles Place.
• The park is laid out as a paved promenade and terraces with steps down towards the bay, so visitors move across level paving and stepped areas rather than through formal gardens. Approaching the main statue involves walking over open terraces with no cover from rain or sun.
• The closest surrounding district is Singapur’s Central Business District, and the park sits near major roads and hotel frontages. This central position means that Merlion Park can be combined easily with walks through the Civic District and around the Marina Bay waterfront.
• Singapur lies in Southeast Asia and has a humid tropical climate, so the waterfront setting at Merlion Park brings reflections on the bay surface and bright light on clear days. Lightweight clothing is common among visitors and locals on the terraces and promenade.
• The official language is Malay, alongside English, Mandarin Chinese and Tamil, and the currency is the Singapore dollar.

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Frequently asked questions about Merlion Park

Where is Merlion Park located in Singapur?

Merlion Park stands at One Fullerton on the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapur, beside the mouth of the Singapore River and close to the Central Business District.

What can visitors expect when they arrive at Merlion Park?

Visitors find an open waterfront promenade with terraces, two Merlion statues and wide views over Marina Bay towards landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and the city skyline.

What makes Merlion Park distinctive among Singapur’s public spaces?

Merlion Park is distinctive for housing the original lion-fish Merlion statue unveiled in 1972 and for its position on a reclaimed promontory that opens broad views across Marina Bay.