Merlion Park and the lion-fish symbol on Singapore’s bay
Published on 09/16/2026 at 11:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Merlion Park in Singapur is a compact waterfront space on the Marina Bay shoreline where Singapore’s best-known lion?fish statue meets broad steps, open water and a dense city skyline. The park centres on the Merlion, a white stone fountain with a lion’s head and a fish’s body, relocated to this reclaimed promontory in 2002 to preserve uninterrupted views across the bay and towards the financial districtMerlion Park on the waterfront. First unveiled on 15 September 1972 and designed by artist Kwan Sai Kheong before being sculpted by Lim Nang Seng, the main statue has become a national emblem as much as a physical landmark1972 unveiling of the Merlion.
A lion, a fish and a waterfront stage
The core of Merlion Park is the original Merlion statue, standing 8.6 m (28 ft) high and weighing around 70 tonnes, built in concrete and finished in a pale, textured surface that catches the strong tropical lightheight and weight of the Merlion. The figure’s lion head rises above a scaled fish body, its mouth forming a fountain that sends a continuous arch of water into Marina Bay, framing photographs with the bay in the background and the spray in the foregroundlion head and fish body fountain. Beside it stands a smaller “Merlion cub” several metres tall, echoing the main statue in form and material but giving the park a second focal point at a different scalemain Merlion and cub at One Fullerton.
The statues sit on a stepped platform that drops gently towards the water, with viewing terraces that work as informal seating as well as vantage points for the skyline. From the platform, visitors see Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum across the bay, while to one side the Esplanade Bridge and the cluster of office towers mark the Central Business Districtpromenade and skyline panorama. The combination of water, wide steps and the sculptural fountain gives the park the character of a small amphitheatre facing outwards to the harbour rather than inwards to a lawn.
From river mouth to Marina Bay promenade
When the Merlion was first unveiled in 1972, it stood at the mouth of the Singapore River near the former Clifford Pier, marking the point where the river met the harbour and anchoring Singapore’s self?image as a “Lion City” with maritime rootsoriginal siting at the river mouth. The statue formed part of a broader effort by the Singapore Tourism Board to create a distinctive symbol that could appear on posters, brochures and souvenirs while also existing as a physical monumentMerlion as authorised national symbol. In the late 1990s, the construction of the Esplanade Bridge changed the relationship between the river mouth and the harbour, prompting a decision to move the statue to a new site that would restore a clear line of sight from the water.
The relocation took place in 2002, when the Merlion and its cub were transferred to a newly reclaimed promontory in front of the Fullerton Hotel, creating Merlion Park as a formal public space overlooking Marina Bay2002 move to the reclaimed promontory. The new site at One Fullerton gave the monument an area of about 2,500 square metres, large enough to hold broad terraces, planted edges and a promenade linking the park to other waterfront walkspark area and establishment date. In its present form, Merlion Park works as a hinge between the historic Civic District, the modern business quarter and the newer Marina Bay developments, making the lion?fish fountain part of a wider sequence of riverfront and harbourfront spaces.
A compact park with layered views
Although Merlion Park covers a modest footprint, the layout makes full use of its position at the edge of Marina Bay. The main promenade curves around the water, with railings and level surfaces that accommodate photographers, families and tour groups without breaking the view lines out across the harbourwaterfront promenade and skyline views. Behind the statues, commercial buildings at One Fullerton house restaurants and cafés; their glass fronts reflect the bay, while the park itself remains defined by stone steps, simple planting and the white fountain figures rather than by heavy structureseateries and jetty near the Merlion.
Approaching from Raffles Place MRT station, visitors follow signposted routes through the Fullerton area towards the water, arriving at the park on foot after crossing roads and smaller plazaswalk from Raffles Place to One Fullerton. Once on the promenade, the Merlion aligns visually with Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer, producing a layered composition of sculpture, water and architectural silhouettes. The park’s role as part of the Jubilee Walk heritage trail reinforces this sense that a short stop at the fountain also connects to a wider story about the river, the harbour and Singapore’s post?independence developmentMerlion Park on the Jubilee Walk.
Visiting Merlion Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Merlion Park sits on the Marina Bay waterfront at One Fullerton in Singapur, a short walk from Raffles Place MRT station on the East–West and North–South lines.
- The park is laid out as a gently stepped promenade with broad stone terraces; reaching the main viewing platform involves walking on level paving and some shallow steps.
- Nearby landmarks include the Fullerton Hotel behind the park and, across the water, Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum, all visible from the Merlion platform.
- The official language of Singapur is English and the currency is the Singapore dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Merlion Park
Where is Merlion Park in Singapur?
Merlion Park is on the Marina Bay waterfront at One Fullerton, beside the mouth of the Singapore River and close to the Central Business District.
What can visitors expect when they arrive at Merlion Park?
Visitors find a stepped promenade facing the bay, with the tall Merlion fountain, a smaller cub statue, open views to Marina Bay Sands and nearby cafés in the surrounding buildings.
What makes Merlion Park distinctive among Singapur’s waterfront spaces?
The park combines Singapore’s lion?fish national symbol, a compact stone fountain and a reclaimed promontory, offering direct views across Marina Bay from terraces built around a single sculptural focus.
