Waterboat House Garden

Waterboat House Garden
Former Merlion Park
Former Merlion Park, currently Waterboat House Garden
Location in Singapore
Type	historical park
Location	Singapore
Coordinates	1°17′14.3″N 103°51′12.2″E
Opened	15 September 1972; 52 years ago (1972-09-15)
Status	Open

Waterboat House Garden is a small park located near the mouth of the Singapore River, near the Central Business District (CBD) in Singapore. The park was once the original site of the former Merlion Park where the two iconic statues of the Merlion and its miniature form were originally located.

History

Launch

Original Merlion Park at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1994.

The first Merlion Park was originally located near the mouth of the Singapore River was designed by the Singapore Tourism Board as an emblem of Singapore in 1964. The park was officially opened at an installation ceremony for the Merlion statue, officiated by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 15 September 1972.^[1] The original statues of the Merlion and its miniature version used to stand at the mouth of the Singapore River with Anderson Bridge as its background. The main statue was made from November 1971 to August 1972 by Singaporean sculptor Lim Nang Seng.^[2] It measures 8.6 meters high and weighs 70 tons.^[3][4]

Relocation of the Merlion Statue

Main article: Merlion Park

Due to the completion of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the statue could no longer be viewed clearly from the Marina Bay Waterfront.^[3] On 23 April 2002, the Merlion statue and its miniature statue were relocated from its original location to a new pier specially built on the other side of the Esplanade Bridge adjacent to the One Fullerton Hotel, which was completed on 25 April 2002. The new Merlion Park, which is four times bigger than the original site, had officially been opened since then.^[5]

Present

Another view of the Former Merlion Park, facing The Fullerton Waterboat House

The site of former Merlion Park had since being renamed as the Waterboat House Garden, so named from the nearby historical building Waterboat House, the renovated Water House which was built in 1919.

See also

• Merlion
• Merlion Park

References

1. "Merlion Park". The Fullerton Heritage. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
2. "Sim Lian Huat". www.biotechnics.org. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
3. "A new home for the Merlion". URA Skyline (July/August 2000) Archived 18 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. p. 6–8
4. Singapore National Library Board: Singapore Infopedia: "Merlion Statue" <"Merlion Statue". Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008.>
5. "Merlion Park". Best Singapore guide. Retrieved 18 September 2012.