The Merlion - Singapore's national icon

The Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Regarded as a Singapore icon, the Merlion was designed in 1964 for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board and functioned as its corporate logo from 1966 to 1997. There are five authorised Merlion statues in Singapore, the most well known being an 8-metre-tall statue designed by Kwan Sai Kheong and sculpted by Lim Nang Seng.

The Merlion takes the shape of a fish, which symbolises our past as a small fishing village and the lion head, which is significant to a tale about Sang Nila Utama.

I feel that the Merlion is the best national icon for Singapore as Merlion replicas is not only located in Singapore but also in other countries such as Shenzhen, China and also in Japan. It is one of our earliest tourist attractions and has become famous throughout the world. People come to Singapore the visit this beautiful and majestic icon of Singapore.   

Chicken Rice

Chilli Crab

Changi Airport

However, we must not forget the other national icons which are equally unique and significant to the history and culture of Singapore.          

For example, we have Singapore cuisine, such as Chicken rice, chili crab and laksa. 

We also have the iconic buildings such as the Esplanade and Raffles Hotel.

Changi airport is also one of the icons of Singapore, as it is known for its exceptional service world wide.

Therefore i conclude that the Merlion is not the best national icon as there are still many others that are just as special to Singapore's history as a national icon.