15 September 2012 marks the 40th birthday of the Merlion – the mythical half-fish, half-lion statue which has since been one of the most recognisable icons of Singapore. Originally sculpted by Mr Lim Nang Seng in 1972, the 8m tall statue used to stand at the mouth of the Singapore River and was moved to its current location in front of One Fullerton in 2002.
Together with several bloggers and photographers, we were invited to the media event which launched a 4-day celebration comprising of a dazzling light and pyrotechnic show centered around the Merlion. The 7-minute show, titled “The Merlion and I: An Inspiring Journey” traces how the Merlion has evolved over the past 40 years.
Accompanying the show is a music and video segment featuring photographs of the Merlion submitted by members of the public and shown on a large LED display on a floating platform. The song of the same title is composed by Mr. Kenn Chua and sung by Mr. Jim Lim, a member of local group Dreamz FM. An MTV with Ms. Serene Koong has also be produced and screened just before the show starts.
A special dance routine choreographed by Mr. Ryan Tan is also commissioned for the celebration, and features several groups of dancers on several bottom-lit stages placed around the Merlion park.
All these makes for a spectacular show, and I couldn’t resist going down to the Merlion Park again on the last day to capture more shots from different angles. Here’s wishing the Merlion a (belated) Happy 40th Birthday!
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