- Address: One Fullerton, Singapore 049213
- Opening: September 15, 1972
- Sightseeing: Merlion statue
Coming to Singapore, tourists first of all rush to the park Merlion, which is considered a real historical monument of this city. In fact, it can be called a park with a big stretch, because there are no entertaining mass attractions that are peculiar to this place, since the statue was once transferred from the existing park, but the name was fixed.
Most likely, like Clarke Key , Merlion Park is the embankment along which the townspeople walk, and tourists can see the surrounding sights , to which a beautiful view opens from here.
History of the Merlion Park in Singapore
The fishing village under the same name appeared on this place a long time ago, as well as giving about Merlion - half a fish, half a lion. This mythical creature became the symbol of Singapore, which is known far beyond its borders and it is a kind of reference point - in fact a statue from the sea is visible. But this fountain appeared not in time immemorial, but in 1964, on the orders of the Committee on Tourism, and was copied from the emblem of the city. The height of the statue is a fountain of medium size - 8.6 meters, but it weighs really colossally - as much as 70 tons.
He created a sculpture poured from alumina concrete, the local sculptor Lim Nang Seng. According to legend, the Maharajah, who discovered Singapore in the eleventh century, met a lion at this place - and this meeting is symbolized by the lion's head of sculpture. But the fish tail has become a symbol of the sea, because the city is on its shore and was formerly called Temasek - on the Javanese "sea". Now, literally, Singapore is translated as "the city of a lion".
The change of the place of the statue
Earlier, the Merlion statue was installed at the entrance to the harbor at the bridge Esplanade Bridge. But, later, when the city began to expand, and with it all the buildings on the shore, they closed a statue. Because it was decided to move Merlion to 120 meters and now adorns the entrance to the hotel One Fullerton.
Neighborhood of the Merlion statue
On the territory of Merlion Park there are many places of rest for townspeople and visitors, and in the harbor a joyful festive atmosphere always reigns. In the green part of it you can see unique giant trees, typical for this area.
Visitors arrive day and night to the famous statue in Merlion Park to capture themselves against the symbol of this island state. Every evening you can see a fascinating laser show over the waters of the bay. By the way, experts recommend visiting this place at sunset, because at that time a completely different side of Singapore opens with its unique architecture, supplemented with all sorts of light special effects.
On the waterfront there are a lot of eateries with national and traditional European cuisine, where you can have a snack at a reasonable price , so there will not be any problems with meals on the tourist's walk. Also from here you have an excellent view of the Marina Bay hotel-casino, consisting of three buildings, and topped with a gondola on top. This place has gathered theater, swimming pools, casinos, restaurants, boutiques and, of course, hotel rooms.
In addition, the theater "Esplanade" is clearly visible from the foot of Merlion, which looks like the peel of a broken mandarin. The post office building is very interesting - it, like many architectural constructions of the city, is very original. The whole journey along the embankment takes no more than an hour, but you can get impressions for a year ahead.
How to get there?
The people of Singapore are very friendly and polite, so you will not have problems with finding a road to your hotel or to the statue itself. To get to the Merlion Park in Singapore, you should use public transport :
- on the metro : lines EW14-NS26 (station Raffles Plase);
- By bus: No. 10, 10e, 57, 70, 75, 100, 107, 128, 130, 131, 162, 167, 196, 196e, 531 (Fullerton station).
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