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The Merlion () is the official mascot of
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. It is depicted as a mythical creature with the head of a
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
and the body of a
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
. Being of prominent symbolic nature to Singapore and
Singaporeans Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
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 A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda. In the first personifications in the Western World, warrior deities or figures symboliz ...
. The Merlion was first used in Singapore as the logo for the tourism board. Its name combines " mer", meaning the
sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...
, and "
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called ''
Temasek Temasek ( or , also spelt Temasik or Tumasik) is an early recorded name of a settlement on the site of modern Singapore. The name appears in early Malay and Javanese literature, and it is also recorded in Yuan and Ming Chinese documents ...
'', which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original name—''
Singapura Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree o ...
''—meaning "lion city" or "kota singa". The symbol was designed by
Alec Fraser-Brunner Alec Frederick Fraser-Brunner (6 April 1906 – 17 Sept 1986) was a British ichthyologist. His career included work with the Colonial Office, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and as the curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium in Singapore and the ...
, a member of the Souvenir Committee and curator of the
Van Kleef Aquarium Van Kleef Aquarium was an oceanarium located along River Valley Road, at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, in Singapore. Fully air-conditioned, the aquarium had 6,500 animals at the time of opening, which were housed in freshwater, seawater, and swam ...
, for the
logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
of the
Singapore Tourism Board The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry. History The board was first established on 1 January 1964 and ...
(STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997 and has been its
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
ed symbol since 20 July 1966. Although the STB changed their logo in 1997, the STB Act continues to protect the Merlion symbol. Approval must be received from STB before it can be used. The Merlion frequently appears on STB-approved
souvenir A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...
s.


History

The Merlion was conceptualised by the
vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...
Kwan Sai Kheong of the
University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University. The university offers degree program ...
and constructed from November 1971 to August 1972 by Singapore Lim Nang Seng (). It measures 8.6 metres high and weighs 70 tons.Merlion Restaurant and Bar The project cost about S$165,000. On 15 September 1972, Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
officiated the installation ceremony of the Merlion statue. The original statue stood at the mouth of the
Singapore River The Singapore River is a river that flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir in the southern part of Singapore. The immediate upper drainage basin, watershed of the Singapore River is known as the Singapore River Plann ...
in
Merlion Park Merlion Park, ) is a famous Singapore landmark and a major tourist attraction, located at One Fullerton, Singapore, near the Central Business District (CBD). The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is ...
. The completion of the
Esplanade Bridge The Esplanade Bridge is a 261-metre-long (850 ft.) road bridge that spans across the mouth of the Singapore River in Singapore with the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay on its northern abutment and the Merlion on the southern.G. Chandradas, ...
in 1997 blocked the views of the Merlion from the Marina Bay waterfront. The location of the Merlion was also no longer at the entrance of Singapore River due to land reclamation works and also not sprouting water due to a
water pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of applications such ...
malfunction in 1998, requiring maintenance works on it. To give the Merlion an unblocked view of the Singapore River, it was suggested to raise the Merlion on a pedestal at its original location. It was deemed unsuitable as the view would still be blocked by the bridge. The other solution was to relocate the Merlion to other places. Possible relocation sites considered included 120 metres away at a new
Merlion Park Merlion Park, ) is a famous Singapore landmark and a major tourist attraction, located at One Fullerton, Singapore, near the Central Business District (CBD). The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is ...
,
Nicoll Highway Nicoll Highway ( , , , ) is a major arterial road in Singapore which links the junctions of Guillemard Road, Sims Way and Mountbatten Road in Kallang to the junctions of Esplanade Drive, Raffles Avenue and Stamford Road in the city. En route, ...
Extension Bridge,
Esplanade Park Esplanade Park is a park located at the Esplanade area within the Downtown Core district of Singapore. History Built in 1943 when Singapore was ruled by Japan, the Esplanade Park is one of the oldest parks in Singapore. The park was redevelope ...
,
Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
, a promontory at Marina Centre (near where the
Singapore Flyer The Singapore Flyer is an observation wheel at the Downtown Core district of Singapore. Officially opened on 15 April 2008, it has 28 air-conditioned capsules, each able to accommodate 28 passengers, and incorporates a three-story terminal build ...
is located now), a promontory site at Bayfront (near the tip of
Marina Bay Sands Marina Bay Sands is a integrated resort fronting Marina Bay, Singapore, Marina Bay in Singapore and a landmark of the city. At its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino property at Singapore dollar, S$8&nbs ...
integrated resort A casino hotel is an establishment consisting of a casino with temporary lodging provided in an on-premises hotel. Customers receive the benefits of both gambling facilities and lodging. Since the casino and hotel are located on the same premis ...
) and Kim Seng Park. A new Merlion Park, 120 metres away, on a newly reclaimed
promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the s ...
in front of the Fullerton Hotel with a Merlion Pier was chosen after the other relocation choices were either unsuitable or not technically feasible. The relocation took two days, from 23 to 25 April 2002. A carefully engineered journey required one
barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
, two DEMAG AC1600S cranes of 5000 tonnes lifting capacity, plus a team of 20
engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...
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 The Singapore River is a river that flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir in the southern part of Singapore. The immediate upper drainage basin, watershed of the Singapore River is known as the Singapore River Plann ...
. During the voyage, the statue had to be hoisted from the barge, over the
Esplanade Bridge The Esplanade Bridge is a 261-metre-long (850 ft.) road bridge that spans across the mouth of the Singapore River in Singapore with the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay on its northern abutment and the Merlion on the southern.G. Chandradas, ...
and then back onto the barge, as it was too tall to pass underneath. Exactly 30 years after he officially unveiled the Merlion,
Senior Minister Senior Minister is a political title. It may refer to: * Senior Minister of Bangsamoro, a political office in the Cabinet of Bangsamoro * Senior Minister of Canada, a political office in the Cabinet of Canada **Senior Minister, a ceremonial positio ...
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
returned on 15 September 2002 to ceremonially welcome the statue 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 Auspicious is a word derived from Latin originally pertaining to the taking of 'Augury, auspices' by an augur of ancient Rome. It may refer to: * Luck, the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable positive or negative events ...
. Relocated, the statue once more spouted water from its mouth. The Merlion now has a new two-unit water pump system with units working alternatively, so a backup is always on standby. The relocation and new site (four times larger than the original) cost S$7.5 million. 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.During that period, visitors were greeted with
illustrated An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...
hoardings and
canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...
es covering the safety nets and
scaffolding Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other human-made structures. Scaffolds are widely u ...
. The illustrations were designed by Miel, an award-winning senior
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
at ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
''. 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 A shower is a place in which a person bathes under a spray of typically warm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showers are set up to have adjustable temperature, spray pressure and showerhead nozzle angle. The sim ...
spouting water. The Merlion said, "EXCUSE ME while I take a shower..." in a
speech bubble Speech balloons (also speech bubbles, dialogue balloons, or word balloons) are a graphic convention used most commonly in comic books, comics, and cartoons to allow words (and much less often, pictures) to be understood as representing a charac ...
. The Merlion on Sentosa was designed and sculpted by an Australian Artist named James Martin. It is made of Glass Reinforced Cement over a steel armature that is attached to the centre. The Merlion Park was temporarily turned into a single-unit
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
suite, as part of an artwork by Tatzu Nishi, for the duration of the 2011
Singapore Biennale The Singapore Biennale is a large-scale biennial contemporary art exhibition in Singapore, serving as the country’s major platform for international dialogue in contemporary art. It seeks to present and reflect the vigour of artistic practices in ...
.


Incident

On Saturday, 28 February 2009, at about 4:26 pm, the Merlion in the Merlion Park was struck by lightning. 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 Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other human-made structures. Scaffolds are widely u ...
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 A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it is most likely to strike the rod and be conducted ...
on the Merlion itself.


Merlion statues

Within Singapore, there are six Merlion statues in Singapore which are approved by the STB. * The 8.6-metre-tall original statue at
Merlion Park Merlion Park, ) is a famous Singapore landmark and a major tourist attraction, located at One Fullerton, Singapore, near the Central Business District (CBD). The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is ...
. * The smaller two-metre-tall statue standing behind the original statue weighed 3 ton and was commonly referred to as the "Merlion cub". It was inlaid with Chinese porcelain plates and bowls as part of its design. * The three-metre-tall glazed polymarble statue at Tourism Court (near Grange Road) completed in 1995 * The three-metre-tall polymarble statue placed on
Mount Faber Mount Faber, formerly Telok Blangah Hill, is a hill about in height, located in the town of Bukit Merah in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area and the western parts of the Central Are ...
's Faber Point *A pair of Merlion statues were constructed by the Ang Mo Kio Residential Committee in 1999. They are sitting at the entrance of the car park along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1. One of the previously approved statues, a 37-metre-tall gigantic replica at
Sentosa Sentosa Island ( ), known mononymously as Sentosa, is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and is adjacent to ...
, with Mouth Gallery Viewing Deck on the ninth storey, another viewing gallery on its head and Sentosa Merlion Shop, and capable of shining laser beams from its eyes, was closed on 20 October 2019. The area around the statue would be replaced by a Sentosa Sensoryscape project targeted to be completed by 2022. The statues can also be found outside of Singapore in various countries, namely
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.


The Merlion in art and popular culture


In music

*Shortly after the introduction of the symbol, Dutch artist
Johnny Lion John van Leeuwarden (4 July 1941 – 31 January 2019), who recorded under the name Johnny Lion, was a Dutch singer, journalist and actor. His best known song as a solo artist was his hit single "Sophietje". He also recorded with The Jumping Jew ...
composed a song called ''Merlion City Singapore'' which sought to boost Singapore's reputation and characteristics overseas.


In film

*In 2012 Jack Neo movie Ah Boys to Men, the CGI scenes of the Merlion statue destroyed by enemy missiles when Singapore was at war. *The Merlion makes an appearance in the 2018 movie ''
Crazy Rich Asians ''Crazy Rich Asians'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the 2013 novel by Kevin Kwan. The film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lis ...
'', based on the novel of the same name by
Kevin Kwan Kevin Kwan (born ) is a Singaporean-born American novelist and writer of satirical novels ''Crazy Rich Asians'', '' China Rich Girlfriend'', and '' Rich People Problems''. His latest book, '' Lies and Weddings'', was released in June 2024. In ...
. *The Merlion makes multiple appearances in the 2019 animated movie '' Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire''. *In the 2021 animated movie '' My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission'', a Singaporean hero with a design clearly based on the Merlion is seen. His quirk (superpower) allows him to spit high-pressure water from his mouth, just like the main Merlion statue. His name is Big Red Dot, a reference to Singapore's nickname of
Little red dot "Little red dot", also known as "The Red Dot", is a nickname often used in the media and in casual conversation to refer to Singapore. It refers to how the nation is depicted on many maps of Asia and the world as a red dot. The sovereign count ...
. * The Merlion statue also made a brief appearance in the 2006 romantic action film ''
Krrish ''Krrish'' () is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language superhero action thriller film directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. The film stars Hrithik Roshan in a dual role, alongside Priyanka Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha, Sharat Saxena and Man ...
''.


In TV series

* The Merlion (Japanese: マーライオン) appeared in the influential anime ''
Cowboy Bebop is a 1998 Japanese neo-noir space Western anime television series that aired on TV Tokyo and Wowow from 1998 to 1999. It was created and animated by Sunrise (company), Sunrise, led by a production team of director Shinichirō Watanabe, ...
'' (episodes 18 and 24), where its appearance in an ancient home movie offers Singaporean amnesiac bounty hunter Faye Valentine a clue to her true origins. * The Merlion featured heavily in Hajime Satō's (佐藤 肇, Satō Hajime) re-imagining of
Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...
in the 2005 anime, '' Karas''. * The Merlion is featured in episode 11 of Japanese
light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...
, ''
Seitokai no Ichizon is a collection of Japanese light novels by Aoi Sekina, with illustrations by Kira Inugami. The series started with the release of the first volume on January 19, 2008, published by Fujimi Shobo under their '' Fujimi Fantasia Bunko ...
''. * The Merlion is seen in special episode 1 of the manga, ''
Hidamari Sketch is a Japanese ''yonkoma'' manga series written and illustrated by Ume Aoki. It follows a group of young female art students, and following their daily lives as close friends and neighbors at the nearby Hidamari Apartments. The manga has ...
''. ** The Merlion appears when the lady landlord is searching for an apartment key in Episode 10 of ''Hidamari Sketch'' X: "Hoshimittsu". * The Merlion was used in an exclamation by Kyoko Toshino in episode 8 of ''
YuruYuri is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Namori. The series began serialization in Ichijinsha's ''Comic Yuri Hime S'' magazine on June 12, 2008, before being moved over to ''Comic Yuri Hime'' in September 2010. An anime ...
'' in response to seeing Chizuru Ikeda drooling. * Together with ''
The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
'' of Denmark and ''
Manneken Pis (; ) is a landmark bronze fountain sculpture in central Brussels, Belgium, depicting a puer mingens; a Nudity, naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. Though its existence is attested as early as the mid-15th century, ''Manneke ...
'' of Belgium, the Singapore Merlion is ranked in Japan as the 'Three Major Disappointments of the World'. 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. * In ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
''s "Summer Belongs To You!", The Merlion was seen when the gang was bouncing around the world in a large rubber ball. * ''
The Amazing Race 25 ''The Amazing Race 25'' is the twenty-fifth season of the American reality competition show ''The Amazing Race''. Hosted by Phil Keoghan, it featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, competing in a race around the worl ...
'' and ''
The Amazing Race Asia 2 ''The Amazing Race Asia 2'' is the second season of ''The Amazing Race Asia'', an Asian reality competition show based on the American series ''The Amazing Race (American TV series), The Amazing Race''. It featured ten teams of two with a pre-exi ...
'' had teams search the five official Merlions in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
(Tourism Court,
Mount Faber Mount Faber, formerly Telok Blangah Hill, is a hill about in height, located in the town of Bukit Merah in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area and the western parts of the Central Are ...
,
Sentosa Sentosa Island ( ), known mononymously as Sentosa, is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and is adjacent to ...
and two in
Merlion Park Merlion Park, ) is a famous Singapore landmark and a major tourist attraction, located at One Fullerton, Singapore, near the Central Business District (CBD). The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is ...
) to find a clue box in front of one of them, which was at
Mount Faber Mount Faber, formerly Telok Blangah Hill, is a hill about in height, located in the town of Bukit Merah in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area and the western parts of the Central Are ...
. * The Merlion is seen in episode 1 of the 2013 anime television series, ''
Valvrave the Liberator is a Japanese mecha anime series produced by Sunrise. It is directed by Kō Matsuo and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi. The series is set in a futuristic date in which three factions divided from 70% of mankind are in war. It focuses on ...
''. * The Merlion is featured in episode 17 of the anime television series, '' Blast of Tempest''. * The Merlion appears in episode 70 of '' Cardfight!! Vanguard: Asia Circuit''. * The Merlion was briefly seen in episode 52 of ''
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V , stylized as ''Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V'', is a Japanese anime series animated by Gallop. It is the fourth spin-off anime series in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' franchise following ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal''. The series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from April 6, 2014 ...
''. * The Merlion and its supposed history are explained in ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly manga magazine ''Ultra Jum ...
'': ''
Stardust Crusaders is the third main story arc of the manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. The arc was serialized for a little over 3 years. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from April 3, ...
'' in episode 7 of the series in which the main characters travel to Singapore. Also in ''Stardust Crusaders'', there is a supporting character named Anne Merlai (Japanese: マーライ・アン), named after the Merlion, though only her given name “Anne” is mentioned. * On
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
reality series ''
Cake Boss ''Cake Boss'' is an American reality television series that originally aired on the cable television network TLC. The series premiered on April 19, 2009, and spawned four spin-offs: '' Next Great Baker'', '' Kitchen Boss'', ''Bake You Rich'', an ...
'', a cake was made in the shape of The Merlion to commemorate Singapore's 50th Anniversary, incorporating flavors that are typically used in Singaporean desserts. * The Merlion was seen in episode 6 of the anime series '' A Place Further than the Universe''. * In episode 2 of ''
Konohana Kitan is a Japanese manga series by Sakuya Amano. Originally published in Ichijinsha's yuri manga magazine ''Comic Yuri Hime S'' under the name between 2009 and 2010 before going on hiatus, the series relaunched in Gentosha's ''seinen'' manga ma ...
'', Yuzu exclaims "Merlion!" and mimics its water spout after she is pulled into the hot springs bath by Satsuki. * In ''
We Bare Bears ''We Bare Bears'' is an American animated series created by Daniel Chong for Cartoon Network. The show follows three bear brothers, named Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear, and their awkward attempts at integrating with the human world in the San Franci ...
''s episode titled "Lil' Squid", a Merlion statue makes an appearance in the aquarium which the bear cubs enter. * In ''
My Hero Academia is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 2014 to August 2024, with its chapters collected in 42 volumes. Set in a wor ...
'', the Pro Hero of Singapore, Big Red Dot is modelled after the merlion. * The Merlion was used in an exclamation by Koshi Torako in the first episode of ''
My Deer Friend Nokotan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Oshioshio. It began serialization in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Shōnen Magazine Edge'' in November 2019. After the magazine's discontinuation in October 2023, it was transferred to K ...
'' in response to seeing Shikanoko Noko drooling comically like a waterfall over deer crackers. * A character in 2023 Tom & Jerry episode 'Count on 'Merli' named 'Merli' who tries to get the cat and mouse to stop fighting, to little success.


In gaming

* The Merlion can be seen in the video game ''
Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. It was created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. The player character is a human who lives in a village inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals and can ...
'' for the
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
, and its sequels, as a decoration. * The Merlion can be summoned in the Nintendo DS game, ''
Scribblenauts ''Scribblenauts'' is a series of Action game, action Puzzle video game, puzzle video games primarily developed by independent studio 5th Cell. The series is owned and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The first game in the seri ...
'' and ''
Super Scribblenauts ''Super Scribblenauts'' is an emergent action puzzle game developed by 5th Cell and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released on October 12, 2010. It is the sequel to ...
''. * The Merlion can be bought as a cash item and be used as a mount in ''Ragnarok 2: Advent of Valkyrie''. * The Merlion is also featured in one of the Alien Egg miracle cards of the English version of ''
Animal Kaiser This is a list of games developed and/or published by Bandai Namco Entertainment and generally covers titles released after March 31, 2006. Games published by Bandai or Namco prior to the merger are not listed here. Video games Mobile game ...
''. * Merlion Virtual Airlines, virtually based in Singapore, is a virtual airline focusing on the free flight simulator, ''
FlightGear ''FlightGear Flight Simulator'' (often shortened to ''FlightGear'' or ''FGFS'') is a free, open source multi-platform flight simulator developed by the project since 1997. David Murr started this project on April 8, 1996. This project had ...
'', which uses the Merlion as its logo. * A kart based on the Merlion, known as the Roaring Racer, was added to ''
Mario Kart Tour is a 2019 kart racing mobile game developed and published by Nintendo for Android and iOS. It is the ninth game in the Mario Kart series. The game features biweekly, downloadable themed tours with different cups, each of which has three course ...
'' during the game's Singapore Tour event in January 2022. The original Merlion statue also cameos on the Singapore Speedway track, which debuted during the same event and was later added to ''
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It retains the gameplay of previous ''Mario Kart'' games, with players controlling a ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' character in races around tracks. Tracks are theme ...
'' as part of paid downloadable content. In addition, a Roaring Racer Mii Racing Suit based on the Merlion was introduced in the Winter Tour event for ''Mario Kart Tour'' in January 2023.


In literature

*
Edwin Thumboo Edwin Nadason Thumboo B.B.M. and Bar, PJG (born 22 November 1933) is a Singaporean poet and academic who is regarded as one of the pioneers of English literature in Singapore. Thumboo graduated in English from the University of Malaya in 19 ...
cemented the iconic status of the Merlion as a
personification Personification is the representation of a thing or abstraction as a person, often as an embodiment or incarnation. In the arts, many things are commonly personified, including: places, especially cities, National personification, countries, an ...
of Singapore with his poem "Ulysses by the Merlion" in 1979. Due to Thumboo's status as Singapore's unofficial poet laureate and the nationalistic mythmaking qualities of his poetry, future generations of Singaporean poets have struggled with the symbol of the Merlion, frequently taking an ironical, critical, or even hostile stand – and pointing out its artificiality and the refusal of ordinary Singaporeans to accept a tourist attraction as their national icon. The poem "attracted considerable attention among subsequent poets, who have all felt obliged to write their own Merlion (or anti-Merlion) poems, illustrating their anxiety of influence, as well as the continuing local fascination with the dialectic between a public and a private role for poets, which Thumboo (as
Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...
before him, in the Irish context) has wanted to sustain as a fruitful rather than a tense relation between the personal and the public." Among the poems of this nature are "Merlign" by Alvin Pang and "Love Song for a Merlion" by Vernon Chan. More recent poems include "Merlion: Strike One" by Koh Buck Song in the 2009 anthology, ''Reflecting on the Merlion''. * Merlions as a species were fictional characters in
Gwee Li Sui Gwee Li Sui (; Korean: 위리서; born 22 August 1970) is a bestselling writer in Singapore. His works include poetry, comics, non-fiction, and translation. He wrote ''Myth of the Stone'', a graphic novel in English. He is also the author of ''Spia ...
's ''Myth of the Stone'' (1993), the first full-length graphic novel published in Singapore. They were depicted as calm and wise creatures that fought on the side of good and eventually overcame the dreaded
Kraken The kraken (, from , "the crookie") is a legendary sea monster of enormous size, per its etymology something akin to a cephalopod, said to appear in the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Norway. It is believed that the legend of the Kraken may h ...
. Gwee further popularised the
iconoclastic Iconoclasm ()From . ''Iconoclasm'' may also be considered as a back-formation from ''iconoclast'' (Greek: εἰκοκλάστης). The corresponding Greek word for iconoclasm is εἰκονοκλασία, ''eikonoklasia''. is the social belie ...
image of the spitting Merlion in the early 1990s. It reappeared later with his well-loved poem "Propitiations" in his book of poems ''Who Wants to Buy a Book of Poems?'' (1998).


As mascots and performance characters

* For the inaugural Singapore 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, a pair of mascots, Lyo and Merly, were introduced. Merly is a "Merlion-ess cub" based on the Merlion. Her hair is inspired by the lion top half, while her fish half is represented in light-blue scales on her body. Unlike the actual merlion, she has hands and legs instead of a tailfin. * The 37m-tall Sentosa Merlion appeared in the ''
Magical Sentosa Magical Sentosa (also known as ''Sentosa Magique'' Chinese">French language">French">French_language.html" ;"title="n French language">Frenchor ''神奇圣淘沙'' '' show, awakening at the last scene of the show and shining two Laser">laser beam A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of rad ...
s out of its eyes at the audience. (Similar to the storyline of the ''Songs of the Sea'' show.) * The popular Instagram plushi
MerRyan
is a merlion.


In local parlance

* Singaporeans often substitute the term "Merlion" in lieu of
vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pre ...
, in reference of the constant gushing of water from the Merlion's mouth.


In sculpture

* A small Merlion, complete with a
plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate, usually fixed to a wall or other vertical surface, meant to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military p ...
giving information about the original statues, forms part of the decoration in the "Mystic East" area of British theme park
Chessington World of Adventures Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a theme park, zoo and hotel complex in Chessington, Greater London, England, around southwest of Central London. The complex originally opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931; the theme park aspect was dev ...
. * The Merlion was featured– or, depending on the point of view, not featured– during the 2005
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
in the controversial work ''Mike'' by artist
Lim Tzay Chuen Lim Tzay Chuen (; born 1972) is a Singaporeans, Singaporean Contemporary art, contemporary artist known for his Conceptual art, conceptual works that involve designing or constructing subtle interventions within systems, leading viewers to re-eva ...
. He had proposed taking the sculpture in the Merlion Park to the Singapore Pavilion at the exhibition, but was refused by the STB. STB offered to install of a life sized replica of the Merlion at the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale which was rejected by Lim.


See also

*
Lion head symbol of Singapore The lion head symbol was introduced in 1986 as an alternative national symbol of Singapore. The lion head was chosen as a nice logo, as it best captures the characteristics of Singapore's reputation as a Lion City. It is used in less formal occasi ...
*
Mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are ...
*
Merman A merman (: mermen; also merlad or merboy in youth), the male counterpart of the mythical female mermaid, is a legendary creature which is human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal human shape. Sometimes mer ...
* Sea-lion, a similar mythic creature


References


Further reading

* Analysis of the mythology and meaning of the Merlion from the perspective of country branding in: Koh, Buck Song (2011). ''Brand Singapore: How Nation Branding Built Asia's Leading Global City''. Marshall Cavendish, Singapore. .


External links


Official Merlion FAQs on Singapore Tourism Board website

938LIVE ''Merlion'' Struck by Lightning report

Facts on Singapore Merlion on Shinyvisa website

360° VR view of the Merlion Park in September 2020
{{National personifications Maritime folklore Lions in heraldry Mythological lions Mythological hybrids Downtown Core (Singapore) Marina Bay, Singapore Southern Islands Sentosa Tourist attractions in Singapore Outdoor sculptures in Singapore Public art in Singapore National symbols of Singapore Mascots introduced in 1964 1964 establishments in Singapore 1972 sculptures Concrete sculptures Lions in art Southeast Asian legendary creatures