Merlion Park in Singapore
The Merlion, a unique Singaporean icon, consists of a lion’s head with the body of a fish. The lion came about as the name “Singapore” is derived from the Malay word “Singapura” for “lion city”. When Prince Sang Nila Utama first set foot on Singapore back in 11AD, it is rumored that he saw a lion, hence naming this island Singapura. The fish’s body represents a time even before Sang Nila Utama when this island was known as “Temasek”, or “sea” in Javanese.