The Merlion Park is located near Marina Bay, Singapore. This
park is a popular tourist attraction. Two structures of the Merlion are located
here and it is a major tourist attraction and a landmark of Singapore. Merlion
Park would be the first park we visited and is located next to Marina Bay on
the city's edge. It is named for Singapore's tourism symbol the Merlion, half
fish, half lion, and contains a statue of the Merlion overlooking Marina Bay.
The Merlion and the Cub were originally located by the
Esplanade Bridge, just 120 metres from their present location. It's current
home is adjacent to One Fullerton, on a newly constructed 2,500 square metre
park.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the then Prime Minister of Singapore,
officiated the installation ceremony of the Merlion on 15 September 1972. A
bronze plaque commemorated the auspicious occasion with the inscription,
"The Merlion has been erected as a symbol to welcome all visitors to
Singapore".
The area also comprises a promontory with terraced seating,
and a viewing deck to hold up to 300 people as well as a boat landing point
that allows visitors to disembark from river taxis. The viewing deck provides
photographers with unrivalled vistas of the Merlion against the city skyline
and the scenic Marina Bay, including landmarks such as The Fullerton Singapore
and Esplanade Theatres on the Bay.
Today, the Merlion attracts more than one million visitors a
year who make the trip to the Merlion Park.
