Located on Sentosa, an island south of mainland Singapore sits the largest Merlion ever constructed. To be exact, it is right beside Imbiah station of the Sentosa Express train.
Built in 1995, it stands at a height of 37-metres tall. With a grandeur like this, it is a hard-to-miss In fact, it captures the attention of everyone. You can often find people posing in front of this giant creature for a photo opportunity.
Entering this Merlion is now a thing of the past. People used to be able to enjoy the tale of Merlion’s origin and get an incredible 360 view of Sentosa from above. All these experiences are no longer possible because the attraction had since shut down from 21 October 2019.
That is because this Merlion is now impending for a demolishment.
The decision was made to make way for a greater plan, Greater Southern Waterfront development. This area will serve as a linkway between Sentosa and Brani. The adjacent island, Pulau Brani will be relieved off its duty as a container terminal, reshaped and redeveloped together with Sentosa Island to become a leisure and tourist destination.
The news of demolishing this iconic Merlion in Sentosa triggered a huge public outcry for its symbolism to Singapore’s history. However, there is no need to panic. Although Sentosa has the world’s tallest Merlion, there are still as many as 6 other Merlions around various parts of Singapore. The one that spouts water at Merlion Park being the most iconic of them all.
That said, if you are heading to Sentosa, take a photo with this Merlion and capture a part of history.
