This article is about the symbol used by Singapore. For the heraldic device used by other countries such as the Philippines, see Sea-lion.
"Singa laut" redirects here. For the Indonesian film, see Singa Laoet.
The Merlion in Merlion Park near the Singapore CBD is a well-known tourist icon of Singapore.
The Merlion seen from its back with a view at the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands.
The Merlion Park viewed with the Singapore skyline in the background
The Merlion (Malay: Singa-Laut) is a marketing icon with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. 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[1] 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.[2] Approval must be received from STB before it can be used. The Merlion appears frequently on STB-approved souvenirs.
The merlion—a statue with the body of a fish and the head of a lion—occurs in a number of different artistic traditions. Lions with fishtails can be found on Indian murals at Ajanta and Mathura, and on Etruscan coins of the Hellenistic period. Merlions, or ‘heraldic sea-lions’, are an established element of Western heraldry, and have been used on the coat of arms of the cities of Portsmouth and Great Yarmouth in the United Kingdom; the City of Manila; and the East India Company.