At first, I found the idea of the famous Singapore Merlion quite ridiculous, but then I visited the island city-state and discovered that his beloved icon was not laughing.
On the contrary, people from all over the world gather to check it out, take selfies in front of it, or take snap shots of Merlion water gushing out of their mouths, in bags, whatever. And the locals seem to love it, sporting the mythical lionfish creature on their marketing materials and tourist office.
So let's give Merlion the respect it deserves and take a closer look at its history and what it represents.
1. Many poems are written on the Merlion of Singapore
Singaporean poet Edwin Thumboo seemed to cement the iconic status of the Merlion (at least from an artistic point of view) when he wrote the poem `` Ulysses by the Merlion '' in 1979, which you can read the poem on a plate. . near the base of the statue at Merlion Park.
Since then, future generations of poets in Singapore have felt compelled to write their own poems on the Merlion, many of them ironic or critical of the tourist icon.
2. How big is the Merlion of Merlion Park?
This is another good question, reader. Well, the famous Singapore Merlion in Merlion Park is 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tonnes.
3. It survived being struck by lightening
That is true. On February 28, 2009, Merlion in Merlion Park was struck by lightning. Apparently, a local press team was able to capture the damage done to Singapore's most beloved icon on the film, and it was not pretty. Fragments of the statue's head littered the ground.
Fortunately, the tourist attraction has been corrected and is now protected from lightning against further attacks by disgruntled lightning gods.
4. Why a Merlion in the first place?
It's a very good question, and I'm glad you asked it. Well, the Merlion's fish body obviously represents the sea, and the origins of Singapore as a fishing village called Temasek ("city of the sea" in Javanese), while its lion head represents the old name of the world financial center, Singapore, which roughly translates to "the city of the lion".
5. When was the Merlion created?
In this case, the Merlion was designed by a British ichthyologist (fish specialist) called Alec Fraser-Brunner, curator of the Van Kleef aquarium, who in 1964 submitted it to the Singapore Tourist Board as his logo .
The legendary tourist attraction that gives its name to Merlion Park in Marina Bay was sculpted by Lim Nang Seng and erected at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1972. It was then relocated to its current location in 2002.
See also: Best Bars Near Merlion Park Singapore
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