Merlion [1] ( Eng. Merlion , Chinese trad. 魚尾 獅 , ex. 鱼尾 狮 , pinyin : Yúwěishī , Malay. Singa-Laut , also found the transcription Merlion ) - a symbol of Singapore , a mythical creature with the body of a fish and the head of a lion. The word Merlion is formed from the words mer ("marine", cf. English mermaid - "mermaid") and lion ("lion"). [2] The lion symbolizes strength and fearlessness, while Merlion's fish body emphasizes Singapore's close relationship with the sea. The name of the city comes from the Sanskrit words singa (“lion”) and pura (“city”), because according to one legend, the name of the city was given by Prince Sang Nila Utama, who met a lion in the jungle. The prince drew his sword and prepared for battle, but, looking into each other's eyes, the lion and prince parted in peace, without causing harm to each other.
The statue of Merlion in Singapore is built on the emblem of the city, designed in 1964 by Fraser Brunner commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board. A statue cast of concrete, 8.6 meters high and weighing 70 tons, is installed at the mouth of the Singapore River. On September 15, 1972, the opening ceremony of Merlion Park was held, attended by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew . On the island of Sentosa in a recreation park is a 37-meter copy of the original statue.
In 1997, after the construction of the Esplanade bridge was completed, the statue was no longer visible from the sea, blocked by the bridge structures. In 2002, the statue and pedestal were moved on barges 120 m downstream and installed in front of the Fullerton Hotel [3] .
On February 28, 2009, from 4 to 5 pm local time, lightning hit the symbol of the city, destroying part of the statue. Stones fell next to a group of tourists [4] . To date, the statue has been completely restored.
Notes
- ↑ See the pronunciation of the word on singlishdictionary.com or in the soundtrack of the poem Archived April 25, 2009 on Wayback Machine Ulysses by the Merlion of Singapore poet Edwin Tambu
- ↑ Merlion Park , yoursingapore.com (Retrieved May 31, 2010)
- ↑ "A new home for the Merlion". URA Skyline (July / August 2000) . p. 6–8
- ↑ Singapore's iconic Merlion damaged by lightning - radio . Reuters (February 28, 2009). Date of treatment May 31, 2010. Archived April 27, 2012.
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