Merlion Park and the lion of Singapore’s waterfront
Published on 09/11/2026 at 19:30 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Merlion Park on Singapore’s Marina Bay is the open-air stage for the city’s best-known mythical creature, a lion-fish statue that sends a jet of water across the bay towards the modern skyline. Unveiled in 1972 and relocated in 2002, the main Merlion figure anchors a compact waterfront park that sets Singapore’s national symbol against the towers of the Central Business District and the distinctive outline of Marina Bay Sands.
The Merlion: Singapore’s lion-fish emblem in stone and water
The centrepiece of Merlion Park is the Merlion statue, a hybrid creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, carved in stone and installed on a promontory projecting into Marina Bay. The figure rises about 8.6 m (28.2 ft) above the water and has long been described as weighing around 70 tonnes, giving it a physical presence that stands out against the harbour and the glass facades behind it.8.6 metres high and weighing 70 tonnes Its lion head refers to the “lion city” name Singapura, while the fish body recalls Singapore’s past as a trading port and fishing village, turning the statue into a compact summary of the city’s origin story.lion’s head and fish’s body
The Merlion was designed by Kwan Sai Kheong and sculpted between 1971 and 1972 by the Singapore craftsman Lim Nang Seng, before being unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 15 September 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River.sculpted by Lim Nang Seng between 1971 and 1972 That first siting linked the figure directly to the historic river entrance. When the Esplanade Bridge later altered the views along the river, the statue was moved to its current platform on the Marina Bay waterfront in April 2002, a relocation that created the park in its present form beside One Fullerton and opposite Marina Bay Sands.relocated to the new Merlion Park at One Fullerton in April 2002 Alongside the main statue stands a smaller “Merlion cub”, about 2 m (6.6 ft) tall, repeating the same motif at a more intimate scale.smaller 2-metre Merlion cub beside it
A compact park set against Marina Bay’s skyline
Merlion Park itself occupies a relatively small triangle of reclaimed land at One Fullerton, on the mouth of the Singapore River where it meets Marina Bay.relocated to Merlion Park in front of Fullerton Hotel overlooking Marina Bay The park covers about 2,500 square metres and is laid out as a broad, stepped promenade that drops down towards the water, with viewing terraces and open platforms rather than enclosed gardens.area 2,500 square metres and established 25 April 2002 From the terraces around the statue, visitors look across the bay towards Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum and the Helix Bridge, with the Singapore Flyer and the line of the Central Business District forming a layered backdrop.
The park’s position at the junction of the Civic District, the CBD and the Marina Bay waterfront gives it sightlines into several of Singapore’s core cityscapes at once.small waterfront park at One Fullerton on the Singapore River’s mouth The Merlion platform projects slightly into the bay, so the statue stands just off the main promenade, surrounded by railings and low steps. Around it, the park incorporates paving, low walls and seating that are geared to lingering on the waterfront, watching the constant movement of harbour craft and the changing reflections on the bay. Because the park is open on all sides, visitors can approach the statue from the Fullerton side, from the riverbank, or from the Marina Bay promenades across the water, each route revealing a different alignment between the figure and the skyline beyond.
Symbol, skyline and waterfront experience
For many visitors the immediate experience of Merlion Park lies in the interplay between the statue’s stone surfaces and the moving water and light of the bay. The Merlion constantly spouts a stream into the harbour, which catches the light from the sky and the buildings, while the statue itself retains the pale, textured finish of carved stone. Standing close to the railings, travellers see the spray of the fountain and the curve of the bay framed by the lion head, a view that has become one of Singapore’s characteristic images.
Beyond the statues, the park functions as a node along the larger waterfront walks that trace Marina Bay and the Singapore River. Paths and promenades run from the Merlion terraces around to Esplanade Park, across bridges towards Marina Bay Sands and along the river towards Boat Quay, so the park often sits as a pause point within a wider circuit of the city’s harbourfront. Its open layout and stepped platforms give clear views along the water in both directions, with boats on the river in one line of sight and the bay’s open water in another. In the evenings, the reflective surfaces of the bay and the illuminated towers around it turn the Merlion into a focal foreground element within a wide, lit panorama.
Visiting Merlion Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Merlion Park sits on the Marina Bay waterfront at One Fullerton, at the mouth of the Singapore River in Singapore. It is reached on foot from nearby business and civic districts and lies across the water from Marina Bay Sands.
- The park is an open, paved waterfront promenade with broad steps and level terraces. Approaches from Raffles Place and the Fullerton side are on hard surfaces without significant gradients, but the stepped platforms around the statue require short climbs and descents.
- The surrounding area includes the Singapore River, Boat Quay and the Marina Bay promenades, so a visit to Merlion Park can be combined with walks along the river or across the bay to other sights such as the ArtScience Museum and the Helix Bridge.
- Singapore’s official language policy recognises several languages, including English, and the national 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 is Merlion Park in Singapore?
Merlion Park is on the Marina Bay waterfront at One Fullerton, at the point where the Singapore River opens into the bay, opposite landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands.
What should visitors expect on a visit to Merlion Park?
Visitors encounter an open, paved waterfront park centred on the large Merlion statue and its smaller cub, with stepped terraces, seating and wide views over Marina Bay and the Central Business District.
What makes Merlion Park distinctive among Singapore’s waterfront spaces?
Merlion Park brings together Singapore’s lion-fish emblem in a single prominent statue, the mouth of the historic river and the modern skyline of Marina Bay, creating a compact point where the city’s symbol, water and tall buildings meet in one continuous view.
