The Merlion (Malay: Singa-Laut, Chinese: ???, Tamil: ????????
) is the official
mascot of Singapore, depicted as a mythical creature with a lion's head and the
body of a fish. Being of prominent symbolic nature to Singapore and Singaporeans in
general, it is widely used to represent both the city state and its people in
sports teams, advertising, branding, tourism and as a national personification.[1]
The Merlion was first used in Singapore as the logo for the tourism board.
Contents
1 Singapore Merlion
1.1 Original statue
1.2 Relocation of original statue
1.3 Maintenance of original statue
1.4 Damage by lightning
2 Merlion statues
3 Merlion souvenirs
4 The Merlion in art and popular culture
4.1 In film
4.2 In TV series
4.3 In gaming
4.4 In literature
4.5 As mascots and performance characters
4.6 In local parlance
4.7 In sculpture
4.8 Company logo
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
Singapore Merlion
Its name combines "mer", meaning the sea, and "lion". The fish body represents
Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means
"sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original
name�Singapura�meaning "lion city" or "kota singa".
The symbol was designed by Alec Fraser-Bruner, a member of the Souvenir Committee
and curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board
(STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997 and has been its trademarked symbol since
20 July 1966. Although the STB changed their logo in 1997, the STB Act continues to
protect the Merlion symbol.[2] Approval must be received from STB before it can be
used. The Merlion appears frequently on STB-approved souvenirs.
Together with the Little Mermaid of Denmark and Manneken Pis of Belgium, the
Singapore Merlion is ranked in Japan as the 'Three Major Disappointments of the
World'[3][4][5][6]. This meme was played out in episode 6 of the anime series A
Place Further Than The Universe, when two of the characters expressed to their
chagrin that the Merlion was not as disappointing as they thought.
Original statue
On 15 September 1972, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew officiated the installation
ceremony of the Merlion statue.[7] The original Merlion statue used to stand at the
mouth of the Singapore River, at the tip of the Former Merlion Park with Anderson
Bridge as its background.
It was conceptualised by the vice-chancellor of the University of Singapore (now
known as National University of Singapore) then, Kwan Sai Kheong. Made from
November 1971 to August 1972 by the late Singapore sculptor, Lim Nang Seng
(Chinese: ???; pinyin: L�n L�ngxin),[8] it measures 8.6 metres high and weighs 70
tons.[7][9] The project cost about S$165,000.[7]
Relocation of original statue
The Merlion Park viewed with the Singapore skyline in the background
The completion of the Esplanade Bridge, in 1997, blocked the views of the Merlion
from the Marina Bay waterfront.[7] By then, the original Merlion location was also
no longer the entrance of Singapore River.[7] So, in 2002, the statue and its cub
were relocated 120 metres to the current Merlion Park that fronts Marina Bay where
it stands on a newly reclaimed promontory in front of The Fullerton Hotel.
Another solution considered�to raise the Merlion on a pedestal at its original
location�was deemed unsuitable as the view would still be blocked by the bridge.
Other possible relocation sites considered included Nicoll Highway Extension
Bridge, Esplanade Park, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, a promontory at Marina
Centre (near where Singapore Flyer is located now), a promontory site at Bayfront
(near the tip of Marina Bay Sands integrated resort) and Kim Seng Park. However,
all were either unsuitable or not technically feasible.[7]
The unprecedented feat of relocation began on 23 April 2002, and finished on 25
April. A carefully engineered journey required one barge, two DEMAG AC1600S cranes
of 500 tonnes lifting capacity, plus a team of 20 engineers and workers on site.
The entire statue was hoisted onto the barge, which then sailed to the new
installation site at the current Merlion Park, near the mouth of Singapore River.
During the voyage, the statue had to be hoisted from the barge, over the Esplanade
Bridge and then back onto the barge, as it was too tall to pass underneath.
Exactly 30 years after it was officially launched, then-Senior Minister Lee Kuan
Yew returned on 15 September 2002 to ceremonially welcome the Merlion again � this
time in its new home. A viewing deck now stretches over the Singapore River,
allowing visitors to pose for a photograph with a front or side view of the
Merlion, including a new city skyline backdrop in the picture. The sculpture was
aligned to face East, a direction advised to be most auspicious.[9] Relocated, the
statue once more spouted water from its mouth, having stopped in its old location
since 1998 due to a water pump malfunction. The Merlion now has a new two-unit
water pump system with units working alternatively, so a partner is always on
standby. The relocation and new site (four times larger than the original) cost
S$7.5 million.[9]
Maintenance of original statue
From 5 June till 10 July 2006, the Merlion at Merlion Park underwent maintenance.
The last one was right after its relocation. Dirt and stains were removed using
high-pressure water streams, and various wear and tear of the statue was mended.
[10]
During that period, visitors were greeted with illustrated hoardings and canvases
covering the safety nets and scaffolding. The illustrations[11] were designed by
Miel, an award-winning senior artist at The Straits Times. The illustration on the
canvases made them look like shower curtains, with the Merlion sticking its head
out with the shadow of its tail behind the curtain. The illustration on the
hoardings showed the Merlion scrubbing himself with a brush and showering using a
Merlion shower head spouting water. The Merlion said "EXCUSE ME while i take a
shower..." in a speech bubble.
The Merlion on Sentosa was designed and sculp
ted by an Australian Artist named James Martin. It is made of Glass Reinforced
Cement (GRC) over a steel armature that is attached to the centre.[12]
The Merlion Park was temporarily turned into a single-unit hotel suite, as part of
an artwork by Tatzu Nishi, for the duration of the 2011 Singapore Biennale.[13]
Damage by lightning
On Saturday, 28 February 2009 at about 4:26 pm the Merlion in the Merlion Park was
struck by lightning.[14] A breaking news from 938NOW local radio showed an image
with fragments from the Merlion's head on the ground.
Examination of the damage was done quickly with wooden scaffolding set up on
Sunday, 1 March 2009 for workers to take a closer look at the hole. The incident
happened as a result of the lack of lightning protection on the Merlion itself.[15]
Merlion statues
The Merlion on Sentosa
Mini Merlion
The Merlion on Mount Faber
