Merlion Park and the lion-fish symbol on Singapore’s waterfront
Published on 08/27/2026 at 10:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Merlion Park on Singapur’s Marina Bay waterfront is where Singapore’s lion-fish emblem meets water, skyline and promenade in a single compact space. The park gathers the main Merlion statue and its smaller cub beside broad steps and viewing platforms, with the city’s business district and bay spreading out around them, making the hybrid creature part of the everyday urban scene.
The lion-fish creature and its waterfront setting
Merlion Park is laid out as a waterfront promenade at One Fullerton, beside Singapore’s Central Business District and facing Marina Bay, with the statues set close to the edge of the water on a concrete platform.waterfront promenade at One Fullerton From this platform the view runs across the bay towards Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum and the wider skyline, while steps and terraces give standing space for visitors to look out and photograph the scene.view of Marina Bay
The creature at the centre of the park combines a lion’s head with a fish’s tail, a form that appears repeatedly as a symbol and mascot of Singapore.lion’s head and a fish’s tail Two statues stand here: the original Merlion and a smaller Merlion cub close by, giving the park a paired focus of figures on different scales.two Merlion statues The main statue spouts a steady stream of water from its mouth into the bay, tying the mythical figure directly to the seafront that shaped Singapore’s history.spouting water from its mouth
A 1970s symbol given a new home by Marina Bay
The main Merlion statue was designed by Kwan Sai Kheong and sculpted by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng in the early 1970s, giving the creature a concrete form and surface that could stand on a public waterfront.designed by Kwan Sai Kheong It was unveiled on 15 September 1972 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, a date that fixed the Merlion as a post-independence symbol and gave the statue a specific moment of entry into national life.unveiled on 15 September 1972
The statue originally stood at the mouth of the Singapore River and was later relocated to its present platform beside Marina Bay, in front of The Fullerton Hotel, so that it could face the expanded waterfront and be seen clearly from the bay promenade.relocated to a promontory in front of Fullerton Hotel The current park layout, established in the early 2000s, sets the Merlion within roughly 2,500 square metres (0.25 ha) of paved terraces and steps, turning the statue’s immediate surroundings into a defined destination on the bay.area of 2,500 square metres
Scale, materials and the experience of the park
The main Merlion at Merlion Park stands 8.6 m (28 ft) high and weighs about 70 tonnes, giving it a presence that reads against the office towers and hotels around the bay without matching their height.stands at 8.6 metres and weighs 70 tonnes Its surface is carved with scales and mane details that pick out the fish and lion elements, and the jet of water reinforces the idea of a creature tied to the harbour rather than to dry land.8.6-metre-tall statue
Beside the main statue the Merlion cub rises to about 2 m (6.6 ft), a smaller figure that repeats the hybrid form on a more intimate scale and provides a second focal point within the same park.Merlion cub measures just 2 metres The surrounding terraces use concrete and stone in broad steps and platforms, with railings and low walls at the water’s edge; restaurants, cafés and souvenir shops occupy the buildings just behind, so the park sits between commercial frontage and open water as a continuous paved strip.Merlion Park, 1 Fullerton Rd
Visiting Merlion Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Merlion Park lies beside Marina Bay at One Fullerton Road, adjacent to Singapore’s Central Business District; it can be reached on foot from nearby waterfront districts and from the historic Civic District.
- The park itself is a paved waterfront promenade with broad steps and terraces; visiting involves walking on hard surfaces and negotiating level changes between platforms close to the edge of the bay.
- Raffles Place MRT station on the East–West and North–South Lines is a common entry point, with signposted pedestrian routes leading from the station through the business district towards the bay and the Merlion statues.
- The official language 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.
Searching for Merlion Park on social platforms
These links open searches for Merlion Park on each platform.Frequently asked questions about Merlion Park
Where in Singapur is Merlion Park located?
Merlion Park stands at One Fullerton Road beside Marina Bay, adjacent to Singapore’s Central Business District and near the mouth of the Singapore River.
What should visitors expect when they arrive?
Visitors find a paved waterfront promenade centred on the main Merlion statue and its smaller cub, with terraces, steps and open views across Marina Bay and the skyline.
What makes Merlion Park distinctive among Singapore’s waterfront spaces?
Merlion Park combines the national Merlion symbol, a 1972 statue by Lim Nang Seng, with a defined 2,500 m² bayfront park that faces Marina Bay’s major landmarks.
