Merlion, Fountain sculpture 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 8.6-metre, 70-ton statue by sculptor Lim Nang Seng was unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 15 September 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River. The Esplanade Bridge, completed in 1997, blocked the view from Marina Bay, so the statue was moved 120 metres to a new Merlion Park over two days, 23 to 25 April 2002, using a barge and two cranes. Lee returned on 15 September 2002 to welcome it to the site.
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.
On 28 February 2009, between 4 and 5 pm, lightning struck the Merlion in Merlion Park. The mane cracked and a hole formed at the base from falling debris; the statue had no lightning protection of its own. Wooden scaffolding went up the next day so workers could inspect the damage.
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