Merlion as Singapore's Icon
In my opinion, what makes the Merlion is that it represents our history, it is unique and interesting, a view that will be unforgettable to tourists. There is currently seven Merlion statues in Singapore, two in the Merlion Park, one at Mount Faber, one at Sentosa(which is eleven storeys tall), two at Ang Mo Kio, one at the Tourist Court. The number of statues of it in this land is already one of the reasons why it is the national icon. The statue is made by the story of Sang Nila Utama who called Singapore 'Singapura' which is Lion City in Sanskrit. The mermaid part of the Merlion is made with reference to Temasek, the name used for Singapore in the past which means Sea Town in Javanese, our past with regards to a fishing village. On trip advisor, it is ranked at 37 among 500 for things to do in Singapore which is relatively high. It is ranked among 158 landmarks and statues at first position. It reflects in our past and our past is something special for us and our developments today. It's found at the tourist spots like Merlion Park, Sentosa and Mount Faber, but why is it made it so accessible to tourists? I think it's mainly because it is an icon that has been with us for a very long time and that it has remained the same for many many years and also that it is unique to Singapore, having great significance to our roots. There are many things we can use as a icon for Singapore but I think that the Merlion does the job best. It is created in 1964 and used as a icon and a tourist attraction from then to now. This means the tourists who had visited Singapore a few decades ago would also remember Singapore because of the Merlion and they still can share their experiences in Singapore then with people who came now who visited the Merlion. To me, even though the Merlion is not the most good looking one out of all the attractions, but I think it is the best icon Singapore can have. Merlion have been printed in hearts of many tourists when you tell them about Singapore, rather than, slightly newer attractions like Gardens By The Bay, Singapore Flyer etc. Those attractions are in fact nicer, more attractive to tourists, however those lack one thing the Merlion has, history. Wikipedia stated that 'National symbols intend to unite people by creating visual, verbal, or iconic representations of the national people, values, goals, or history.' I believe the Merlion actually fulfill these criteria well as this shows our past, our goals of one nation, regardless of age as well as this pulls us nearer to older generations.
Merlion, even after so many years, it is still a must-visit attraction for all tourists who visits our country, I think Merlion is something very significant for all Singaporeans, not only because it reflects on our roots, but also reflects on our beliefs, it is facing a specific direction based on fengshui beliefs. A reviewer from Tripadvisor stated that 'If you had come to Singapore and don't visit Merlion Park - you had not seen Singapore.' The Merlion is also a cute marketing object for the country as people would buy some things with it printed on as souvenirs for friends. As well, the Merlion allows Singapore's tourism industry to flourish as it brings in more profit for the industry as tourists would want to visit the Merlion like a insider, they would spend from $32 to $112. However the Merlion has been in the area for a long time, thus the statue would be slightly dirty at the surroundings so I think with a little more effort made for cleaning, like closing the park for a day for thorough cleaning, the Merlion would be a more sustainable icon for Singapore. Thus I conclude that a Merlion is the best icon for Singapore.
0 comments