Merlion Park

Merlion Park
The Merlion in Merlion Park near the Singapore CBD is a well-known tourist icon of Singapore. The Merlion cub is visible at the bottom right.
Type Tourist attraction, national icon
Location One Fullerton, Singapore
Coordinates 1°17′12.6″N 103°51′16.3″E / 1.286833°N 103.854528°E / 1.286833; 103.854528Coordinates: 1°17′12.6″N 103°51′16.3″E / 1.286833°N 103.854528°E / 1.286833; 103.854528
Area 2,500 square meters[1]
Created 25 April 2002
Visitors 1 million per year
Status Open 24 hours daily, all year

Merlion Park (Malay: Taman Merlion, Chinese: 鱼尾狮公园, Tamil: மெர்லயன் பூங்கா), is a Singapore landmark and 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 widely used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. Two Merlion statues are located at the park. The original Merlion structure measures 8.6 meters tall and spouts water from its mouth. It has subsequently been joined by a Merlion cub, which is located near the original statue and measures just 2 metres tall.

History

The original Merlion Park was first designed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) near the mouth of the Singapore River in 1964 as an emblem of Singapore. On 15 September 1972, the park was officially opened at an installation ceremony for the statue, officiated at by then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.[2] The original statue of the Merlion used to stand at the mouth of the Singapore River. The statue was made from November 1971 to August 1972 by the late Singaporean sculptor, Mr Lim Nang Seng.[3] It measures 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons.[4][5]

2002 to present

Upon the completion of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the original Merlion Park location was also no longer the entrance of Singapore River and the statue could no longer be viewed clearly from the Marina Bay Waterfront,[4] so on 23 April 2002, the statue was relocated to a new pier specially built on the other side of The Esplanade Bridge adjacent to One Fullerton hotel. The move, which cost $7.5 million, was completed on 25 April 2002.[6] On 15 September 2002, then-Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew ceremonially welcome the Merlion again on its new location, the current Merlion Park, which is four times bigger than the original site.

Merlion statue damage

On 28 February 2010, between 4 pm and 5 pm, the Merlion statue was struck by lightning. Staff in the vicinity said they heard an explosion followed by a loud thud when broken pieces fell to the ground.[7] Repairs were completed in March that year, the Merlion itself resumed spouting water on 18 March 2010.

The Merlion statue has undergone restoration in 2006 and 2012 to repair cracks and clean stains.


See also

References

  1. ↑ "Merlion Park - VisitSingapore.com". VisitSingapore.com. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Merlion Park". The Fullerton Heritage. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Sim Lian Huat
  4. 1 2 "A new home for the Merlion". URA Skyline (July/August 2000). p. 6–8
  5. ↑ Singapore National Library Board: Singapore Infopedia: "Merlion Statue" <"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008. >
  6. ↑ "Merlion Park". Best Singapore guide. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Merlion statue at Singapore River struck by lightning; suffers slight damage". Channel News Asia. 28 February 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
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