Why you should experience Merlion in Singapore.
Merlion is a celebrated waterfront monument where Downtown Core's national identity, maritime heritage, artistic vision, and panoramic bayfront setting symbolize the origins and global evolution of modern Singapore.
Set along One Fullerton near Esplanade Drive and just steps from Jubilee Bridge, this graceful sculpture overlooks Marina Bay through commanding views of Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade, and Singapore's soaring financial district while welcoming visitors to one of the nation's defining civic spaces. Flowing water, expansive viewing terraces, landscaped promenades, and uninterrupted skyline vistas create an environment where symbolism, architecture, and the waterfront blend into a singular public experience. Every angle reinforces the monument's enduring role within Singapore's civic imagination. The result is a public monument defined by national symbolism, artistic distinction, and one of Singapore's most enduring cultural emblems.
What you should know about Merlion.
Merlion is best known for becoming Singapore's official national tourism symbol after being designed in 1964 by Alec Fraser-Brunner for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, combining a lion's head representing the renowned discovery of Singapura, or “Lion City,” by Sang Nila Utama with a fish body symbolizing the island's historic origins as the fishing village of Temasek. Sculpted by Lim Nang Seng and unveiled on 15 September 1972 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the mouth of the Singapore River, the original statue stands 8.6 meters tall, weighs approximately 70 tonnes, and remained at its first waterfront location until 2002, when it was carefully relocated 120 meters to its present position following construction of the Esplanade Bridge to preserve unobstructed visibility from Marina Bay. The monument has since become one of Singapore's most recognizable national symbols while receiving official recognition under the Singapore Tourism Board and serving as the visual centerpiece for countless international campaigns, state celebrations, and cultural events that project Singapore's identity around the world.
The artistic composition unites mythology, history, and urban design through proportions carefully conceived to command Marina Bay. Its continuous water jet has become one of the city's defining visual motifs as visitors gather throughout the day and evening to experience changing perspectives across the skyline and participate in one of Singapore's most photographed civic traditions. The surrounding public plaza seamlessly integrates with the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, creating an accessible gathering space where architecture, public art, and national identity converge. Every visit demonstrates how a single work of public sculpture has evolved into an internationally recognized expression of Singapore's heritage, ambition, and continuing transformation.
How to fold Merlion into your trip.
Merlion is best experienced as the starting point of an exploration through Marina Bay's celebrated waterfront.
Begin at Jubilee Bridge, where sweeping panoramas introduce Marina Bay before arriving at Merlion to experience Singapore's defining national symbol. Continue to Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, whose internationally acclaimed architecture and performing arts venues celebrate the city's cultural achievements. Conclude at Marina Bay Sands, where world-renowned architecture, elevated viewpoints, and exceptional waterfront perspectives provide a memorable finale celebrating Singapore's extraordinary urban evolution. The progression moves naturally from panoramic waterfront to national symbol before concluding through two defining architectural achievements, revealing why Merlion remains the enduring centerpiece of Singapore's civic identity.
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