Description of the attraction
Merlion Park is a popular business center in Singapore, located along the waterfront of Marina Bay. Its main and most recognizable landmark, emblem and visiting card of the city is the statue of Merlion. The appearance of this fantastic creature is associated with the legend of the discovery in the 11th century of a new land, which turned out to be an island. The Malaysian prince who went ashore met a huge animal, which he at first took for a lion. Subsequently, it turned out that these predators are not found here, but the island has already received the name Singapore - the city of the lion. And the lion's body of fish appeared as a sign of the close and constant connection between the city and the sea. According to legends, the merlion protected Singapore from enemies and storms for many centuries.
Soon after the declaration of independence of Singapore, in 1965, the emblem of the city was developed, the center of which became the merlion. In the early 70s, a local sculptor cast his figure from concrete, which was originally installed at the mouth of the river. In 2002, this 70-ton statue was moved to the embankment of the bay. Now this sculpture-fountain with a height of under nine meters is the center of the park and the symbol of the city. According to feng shui, it is oriented towards the east - a direction that brings prosperity. The entire history of modern Singapore confirms the correct location of the city's mascot.
There is another figure of a merlion in the park, smaller, but also impressive: it weighs three tons and is about two meters high. A giant prototype of the statue was created on Sentosa Island. This 37-meter figure houses a museum, cinema and two observation decks. One of them, on the ninth floor, is located in the mouth of a lion, the other is on its head. The statue on Sentosa Island is the center of tourist entertainment; it is famous for laser shows and musical evenings.
The main statue-fountain in Merlion Park impresses not only with its size, but with special harmony and individuality. It adorns the embankment and symbolizes the scale of the unique country.
