Merlion, Fountain statue in Marina Bay, Singapore
The Merlion is a stone fountain sculpture in Marina Bay, Singapore, spraying water from its mouth into the bay. The white monument shows a lion head on a fish body and stands on a raised platform by the waterfront.
The sculpture was originally placed at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1972. Twenty years later it was relocated to its current site to restore visibility after the construction of a new bridge.
The design combines elements from old accounts of a Malay prince with the traditional fishing trade of the region. The symbol now represents the link between maritime past and modern city-state.
The park is open around the clock and sits near Raffles Place, reachable by pedestrian paths along the bay. The area works well for photos and short stops by the water.
A lightning strike damaged the monument in 2009, causing a temporary interruption of the water flow. The incident shows the challenges of maintaining an open monument in a tropical climate.
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