Monument · Singapore, Singapore
Merlion Park
The Merlion ( ) is the official mascot of Singapore. Built 1972.
Photo: Unwicked via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Singapore, Singapore |
|---|---|
| Type | Monument |
| Built | 1972 |
| Architect | Lim Nang Seng |
| Height | Height: 8.6 m |
| Coordinates | 1.2868° N, 103.8545° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Merlion Park is known for
The Merlion ( ) is the official mascot of Singapore.
About Merlion Park
The Merlion ( ) 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.
History
The sea-lion, a heraldic beast of similar appearance to the Merlion, has long been used in the heraldry of Europe and its colonies. However, it is distinct from the Merlion and was not used to symbolize Singapore prior to the design of the Merlion. The Merlion was conceptualised by the vice-chancellor Kwan Sai Kheong of the University of Singapore and constructed from November 1971 to August 1972 by sculptor Lim Nang Seng.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Seletar Airport (XSP) |
| Distance from the airport | 9.5 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) · Singapore, Singapore · 10.6 miles away
- Hang Nadim International Airport (BTH) · Batam, Indonesia · 21.6 miles away
- Senai International Airport (JHB) · Johor Bahru, Malaysia · 27.6 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Singapore
More monuments
Frequently asked questions
What is Merlion Park?
The Merlion ( ) is the official mascot of Singapore.
Where is Merlion Park located?
Merlion Park is in Singapore, Singapore. Its coordinates are 1.2868° N, 103.8545° E.
How do I get to Merlion Park?
The nearest town is Singapore, and the nearest airport is Seletar Airport (XSP), about 9.5 miles away (straight line).
When was Merlion Park built?
Merlion Park was built 1972.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q208760 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.