If you're planning a trip to Singapore in the near future and hoping to snap a photo in front of one of the country's most famous landmarks, the Merlion statue, there's going to be a slight change in your plans.
Merlion Park, one of the country's most famous landmarks, will be temporarily closed from September 25 to December 13. This is due to repairs being made to the Merlion statue. Therefore, you will not be able to take pictures of this famous landmark during this period.
During this period, the statue will be covered with scaffolding and will not be available for photography, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced on Friday (Sep 22).
Maintenance work was carried out on the Merlion statue from 27 to 28 July this year. This routine work or inspection of the statue usually lasts for a few days.
Hazel Teh, STB Director of Compliance and Corporate Services, explained that the repair work includes repairing cracks on the statue as well as cleaning it.
Ms. Teh added that the repair work will take more than two months as it is more extensive than the usual routine maintenance of the statue. She also mentioned that the Merlion was last restored in 2019, and the closure time at that time also reached 2.5 months.
The Merlion statue, which is a combination of a lion's head and a fish's body, was originally made by a local craftsman named Lim Nang Seng. It was officially unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on September 15, 1972, and is located at the mouth of the Singapore River.
However, after the construction of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the statue's visibility from the waterfront was reduced. In 2002, the Merlion statue was moved to Merlion Park, which is located in front of the Fullerton Hotel and overlooks Marina Bay.
Meanwhile, the smaller nearby statue, often referred to as the "Merlion Cub", can be used for photography during the several-month renovation.
Source: The Straits Times | Channel News Asia
