merlion singapore

The Merlion, the famous icon of Singapore today,

was designed by Fraser Brunner, a curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium.

Originally, in 1964, this merlion served as an emblem for

the Singapore Tourist Board

-- the lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves.

.....

The lion head represents the lion spotted by

Prince Sang Nila Utama

when he re-discovered Singapura

(in Sanskrit: 'singa' means 'lion' and 'pura' means 'city') in 11 AD.

The tail of a fish resting on a crest of waves

represents Singapore's humble beginning as a fishing village.

.......

Singapore was founded by

Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 which became colonial rule

until [1963*] 1965 where the island became an independent nation.