The original Merlion statue was located by the Merlion Park by the Esplanade Bridge, near the opening of the Singapore River and became a renowned sightseeing attraction for tourists. The installation ceremony of the Merlion statue was intiated by the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, on 15 September 1972. But since 2002 the statue has been relocated to a new place near Fullerton in Marina Bay. 8.6 metres and 70 tonnes are the height and weight of the current Merlion statue at Marina Bay and was built by late Singapore craftsman, Lim Nang Seng. There is also another merlion statue but a slightly smaller version located near this one. This satue was also built by Lim Nang Seng.
Legend has it that the lion head of the merlion statue stands for the lion tht was supposedly seen by the Prince Sang Nila Utama when he re-discovered this city in 11 AD while the fish tail represents the ancient port city of Temasek which wasthe name for thiscity before the prince renamed it as Singapore. Today there are five official Merlion statues in Singapore. These five statues are approved by the Singapore Tourism Board. Two of them are located at Merlion park, a taller version at Sentosa, one at Mount faber and another one at the tourism court located in Tanglin.
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