The Merlion
Half fish, half lion, the Merlion has been the iconic symbol of Singapore for over 50 years. It sits proudly at the Merlion Park auspiciously facing east, spouting water to delighted tourists, and proud Singaporeans.
The Merlion was designed by Alec Fraser-Brunner in 1964 as the logo for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). But this majestic piece of art actually has a much older story to tell.
For the Merlion’s origin, we must visit the literary work known commonly as the Malay Annals, written in 1612. Here, in chapter 3 we meet a restless 13th Century Prince by the name of Sang Nila Utama.