Singapore Sling Singapore's Merlion gets a new home By Rennie Loh	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
マーライオンの移転 ライオンの頭と魚の胴体を持つマーライオンは、シンガポールのシンボルです。その名前は、国の起源にまつわる逸話に由来しています。4月から移転・復元工事中だったマーライオン像が先月、きれいになって新しいマーライオン公園にお目見えしました。

A new year, a new beginning has started for Singapore's tourist icon, the Merlion, as it celebrated its 30th birthday in its new home on Sept. 15. The original statues of the Merlion and its cub are now restored to their former glory, standing tall on a promontory overlooking the scenic Marina Bay in the grounds of the new Merlion Park, which is four times the size of the old park. Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who had opened the old park 30 years ago, was present to inaugurate the celebration.

The idea to relocate and restore the pair of Merlions, built by a Singaporean craftsman in 1972, was initiated to allow visitors to enjoy an unobstructed view of them after they had been obscured by a bridge built across the mouth of Singapore River. The system that allowed the Merlions to spout water had also malfunctioned over time.

"Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have holiday snapshots taken standing with the Merlion. When they come back to Singapore, they want to see the Merlion again and they want to see it spout water. We cannot let them down," said Singapore Tourism Board's Chief Executive, Yeo Khee Leng.

Inquisitive friends have often asked me if the infamous Merlion does really exist. The truth is that the half-lion, half-fish creature is actually half-fact, half-legend. The lion head originates in the tale of how the Sumatran prince Sang Nila Utama named the island Singapura - Malay for "Lion City" - after spotting a lion on his first visit there. The fish torso pays homage to Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village. Just like the Eiffel Tower in France, Mount Fuji in Japan and the Statue of Liberty in the United States, it came to represent Singapore.

The Merlions brought thriving tourism and commercial opportunities. The old Merlion Park drew about one million visitors every year. The Merlion is also the most popular souvenir that tourists take home with them, in the form of anything from chocolates to statuettes.

Koh Wee Kuan, director of one of the major suppliers of Merlion products, said, "Singapore doesn't have much to sell except for the Merlion. Other symbols such as the orchid and the Changi Airport control tower do not sell as well." The company, where the Merlion products make up 90 percent of its products, has an annual turnover of more than Singapore $1 million (¥6.9 billion).

"Chinese and Japanese tourists are the most avid fans," said Freddy Tan. Tan's company sells Merlion bookmarks that go for less than Singapore $2 (¥138) as well as 40-cm-tall Merlion figurines that cost Singapore $100 (¥6,900) each.

Another company prides itself on better-quality products like Merlion magnets that glow in the dark or pens with in-built lights. At one local cake shop, you can even have your Merlion and eat it. The shop sells sponge cakes shaped like the beast for Singapore $70 (¥4,830) for a 2-kg cake.

Most people may not know that the Merlion is a symbol owned by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). STB has approved five Merlions: the original pair at the new Merlion Park and the others at STB's Tourism Court, Sentosa and Mount Faber.

Variations of the Merlion have found their place outside Singapore. A Singaporean newspaper discovered that in the Osaka suburb of Moriguchi, there is a Merlion, albeit one without a fish tail. Inspired by the Merlion in Singapore that symbolized an international city, the Moriguchi Lions Club built it to mark its 35th anniversary in 1996.

Yeo Khee Leng of the STB added, "The Merlion has taken Singapore to the world and brought the world to Singapore. To me, the Merlion is in its own right an inspiring story for Singapore. Who would have dreamt of there being Merlions in Japan and China one day?"

For most Singaporeans, the Merlion is synonymous with Singapore. But for some, it does not represent the modern city that Singapore has become. Lok Siow Ling, a magazine writer, said, "Singapore is known for its efficiency and cleanliness, and not for the Merlion. While it symbolizes Singapura, I cannot say the same for Singapore."

As for tourists and foreigners, though almost everyone recognizes the Statue of Liberty, few people can identify the Merlion, not to mention the country that it represents. An American backpacker once told me, "I have seen the Merlion on T-shirts, but I have never thought it a fish. I thought it was just a lion, represented artistically."

Shukan ST: Oct. 18, 2002

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