Image source: Keith Yeung

Merlion Park
Location: Marina Bay
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place

A flash of Eiffel Tower will instantly remind you of Paris or a photo of Burj Al Arab for Dubai. This is their tourism icon, a landmark that embodies the country’s rich history or denotes the city’s emblem in the tourism industry.

As for Singapore, it is represented by Merlion statue which was initially created as a symbol of Singapore Tourism Board in 1964 and later became a popular tourism icon of Singapore. Located in Merlion Park, this statue will tell you about Singapore’s history of origin.

The Merlion is comprised of a lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of water waves. The lion head signifies the lion that was spotted by Prince Sang Nila Utama when he re-discovered Singapura in 11 A.D. and the fish tail represents the ancient city of Temasek which means ‘sea’ in Javanese language. It was its known name before Prince Sang renamed it to ‘Singapura’. In Sanskrit ‘Singa’ means lion and ‘Pura’ means city.

The fish tail also serves as a reminder of the humble beginning of Singapore as a fishing village.

Visiting this symbolic icon of Singapore at Merlion Park is worth of your time. The park’s location is very ideal because it is situated on the edge of the city. This must-to-see tourist spot attracts more than one million tourists every year. Its promontory has terrace seating and a viewing deck that can accommodate up to 300 people. The viewing deck offers tourists and photographers an opportunity to capture the beautiful unrivaled scenery of Singapore as Merlion stands against the city’s skyline and the picturesque Marina Bay.

It is highly recommended especially for first time visitors in Singapore to stroll in Merlion Park not only to see the rich historical traces of its tourism icon but to relish the city’s panoramic view and to have a glimpse of Singapore’s Colonial district.

About the Author
Cyra Miles is a corporate slave at daytime and a passionate freelance writer at night. Visit www.cyramiles.com or follow her at www.thepassionateslave.com