What country do you think of when you see the Merlion? That's right, you think of Singapore. Singapore, and nowhere else. The Merlion is a mystical creature with the head of a lion, representing Singapore's original name 'Singapura' which means 'lion city', and the body of a fish, representing Singapore's original status as a fishing village. It was designed in 1964 for the Singapore Tourism Board and sites holding the approved statues of the Merlion are probably the most popular places for tourists to visit. However, is the Merlion the best national icon for Singapore?

In all honesty, I think yes, the Merlion is the best national icon for Singapore. As many have mentioned, indeed, the Merlion does both signify and remind us of Singapore's past as a fishing village and the legend of Sang Nila Utama, the prince of Palembang, arriving in Singapore and ruling her for 48 years. As much as I acknowledge this fact, I feel that there is much more to the Merlion than just holding a place in Singapore's past. The Merlion, because of it's unusual appearance, is seen as interesting to foreigners who want to know more about Singapore. Thus, the Merlion will be engraved in the foreigners minds as a symbol representing Singapore. Just like how when I say the country 'Australia', thoughts of Koalas and Kangaroos immediately pop into your head, the Merlion will come to the minds of foreigners when 'Singapore' is mentioned. In addition to this, although the Merlion's original design is not exactly seen as 'cute' and appealing to young children, it has been redesigned and although are not made into statues, they are made into merchandise and souvenirs, letting younger children have a memory and a deeper impression on the Merlion and Singapore as a whole. Speaking of this, the Merlion was also used as the mascot for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games that Singapore hosted in 2010. The Merlion, which was then nicknamed 'Merly', has unique looks which were ingrained in the minds of thousands of spectators, players and sports enthusiasts from all around the world, proving that it is a successful, and in my opinion the best, national icon for Singapore.

Even though I personally feel that the Merlion is the best national icon for Singapore, there are undoubtedly other possible national icons that Singapore can be proud of. One of them is the Esplanade. The Esplanade building by itself is already uniquely designed and memorable to tourists who come to Singapore as it cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is a place where many art related performances are held and is undeniably an unforgettable place to visit. However, I still do not think that the Esplanade is as attractive and appealing to foreigners as the Merlion as it does not tell the kind of story about Singapore that the Merlion does. 

Ergo, I come to the conclusion that in my personal opinion, the Merlion is the best national icon for Singapore.