Merlion
Designed by Kwan Sai Kheong & sculpted by Lim Nang Seng, Merlion was first unveiled on 15 Sep 1972
The Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Regarded as a Singapore icon, the Merlion was designed in 1964 for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB; now known as the Singapore Tourism Board) and functioned as its logo from 1964 to 1997.
There are seven authorised Merlion statues in Singapore, the most well-known being an 8-metre-tall statue designed by Kwan Sai Kheong and sculpted by Lim Nang Seng. First unveiled on 15 September 1972. This statue is now located at the new Merlion Park, adjacent to One Fullerton at the Marina Bay waterfront.6 As a symbol representing Singapore, the Merlion features prominently in tourist souvenirs sold locally.
The emblem’s concept was first devised in 1963 for the STPB by Fraser Brunner, curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium. Later named the “Merlion”, its registration as a trademark of the STPB was finalised on 20 July 1966, granting the board exclusive rights to use the symbol. Using the fish in its design alludes to the idea of Singapore’s beginnings as a fishing village, while the lion refers to the sighting of a lion in Temasek by a prince from Palembang, Sang Nila Utama, as narrated in the Sejarah Melayu, leading him to rename the island Singapura (“lion city” in Sanskrit).
The Merlion
The Merlion was crafted by local sculptor Lim Nang Seng & completed in 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River
For many of us Singaporeans, the Merlion is a major part of what makes Singapore unique -- but have you ever wondered how and when did the Merlion become such a prominent national symbol? As it turns out, there is a rich story behind how this came to be, steeped in folklore and history involving Singapore’s modern development.
According to folklore, the story begins with Prince Sang Nila Utama, who, upon setting foot on our shores centuries ago, spotted a mysterious creature resembling a lion, thus bestowing upon our island the name 'Singapura' or 'Lion City'. This inspired British ichthyologist (a professional who studies fish and aquatic creatures) Mr Alec Frederick Fraser-Brunner to design the Merlion as the logo of Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STPB, current-day Singapore Tourism Board). The Merlion was also used as part of STPB’s promotional materials when the agency first started operations in January 1964.
Meant to embody our island’s history, the Merlion's fish-like body commemorates the island’s origins as a fishing village (then known as Temasek), while its lion-like head pays homage to our city’s original name, Singapura (“The Lion City”). The sculpture was later crafted by local sculptor Mr Lim Nang Seng and completed in 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River. In 2002, it was relocated to its present home at Merlion Park in Marina Bay, where it is today a popular site for tourists and locals alike to capture photos featuring the Merlion in humorοus and creative ways!
Merlion
Merlion at its original location on the mouth of the Singapore River in 1972
The Merlion (/ˈmɜːrˌlaɪən/) is the official mascot of Singapore. It is depicted as a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Being of prominent symbolic nature to Singapore and Singaporeans in general, it is widely used to represent both the city state and its people in sports teams, advertising, branding, tourism and as a national personification.
The Merlion was first used in Singapore as the logo for the tourism board. Its name combines "mer", meaning the sea, and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original name—Singapura—meaning "lion city" or "kota singa".
The symbol was designed by Alec Fraser-Brunner, a member of the Souvenir Committee and curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997 and has been its trademarked symbol since 20 July 1966. Although the STB changed their logo in 1997, the STB Act continues to protect the Merlion symbol. Approval must be received from STB before it can be used. The Merlion frequently appears on STB-approved souvenirs.
Singa the Courtesy Lion
Singa the Courtesy Lion was introduced to the public in 1982
Singa the Courtesy Lion (also known as Singa the Lion or Singa) was introduced to the public in 1982 as the official mascot for Singapore’s National Courtesy Campaign (NCC). In his role as courtesy mascot, Singa has appeared in numerous publicity materials, souvenirs and events related to the campaign. In 2001, Singa became the mascot of the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) after the NCC was incorporated into the movement.
Prior to Singa’s creation, the NCC was represented by a smiling head logo. Ministry of Culture officials who were involved in running the NCC felt that this logo was misleading as it gave the public the wrong impression that the campaign was merely about smiling. Ministry officials therefore wanted to create a new campaign mascot to help spread the message that being courteous entailed much more than just giving someone a friendly smile. The ministry’s decision to create a mascot was also influenced by the observation that mascots had been effective in promoting campaigns in other countries.
The NCC committee considered several options for the mascot, including a human character and the Merlion, before finally deciding on the use of a lion. In particular, the committee wanted a lion that was lovable, friendly and warm rather than one that was fierce and had a snarl.
Singa the Lion
Singa the Lion launched in 1982
Many of us fondly remember this beloved mascot from our schooling days. Singa the Courtesy Lion was first introduced to the general public in 1982 as mascot for our National Courtesy Campaign (NCC), launched in 1979 to “create a pleasant social environment, with Singaporeans considerate to each other and thoughtful of each other’s needs.”
It was love at first sight. Fans immediately flooded the NCC hotline, including children asking to speak to Singa. All that love paved the way for more mascots to appear in other national campaigns over the years. In 2001, the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) took over the NCC and Singa represented the movement. Singa’s smiley icon gave way to the heart icon to symbolise kindness from the heart. But a decade later, in 2013, Singa announced his resignation via the SKM website, writing: “I quit. I need a long break, and you could probably use a break from me too. No one likes being nagged at, even if it’s about being kind and gracious.”
Fortunately, he made a comeback in 2014 as Singa the Kindness Lion, bearing a yellow gerbera — the symbol of appreciation — on his shirt in place of the heart. To this day, Singa spends time in schools imparting values of graciousness and compassion to our primary school children and preschoolers.
Singa the Lion
Singa the Kindness Lion launched in 1982
Singa the Kindness Lion was initially created by a team of artists working under the then Ministry of Information & the Arts (MITA) - Now known as Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. The creation of Singa was overseen by Basskaran Nair, a civil servant, who headed the National Courtesy Campaign in its early years. The team tasked with creating Singa consisted of chief artist Joseph Teo, Ahmad Asran and Eileen Wat. The team created Singa within a period of 6 weeks. The initial design of Singa was of a 'fierce-looking' lion and the subsequent revisions were overtly gentle in design.
The final version of Singa was only conceived after more than a hundred revisions. The final design depicts Singa as a golden lion with a bright and welcoming smile. Singa was introduced during a time where most campaigns were slogan driven. Singa's introduction paved the way for other mascots to be introduced into various public campaigns.