The Merlion is one of the key icons of Singapore, and the 8m-tall Merlion at the Merlion Park is among the top must-see attractions for many tourists.
But a Chinese tourist who was recently visiting Merlion Park was left underwhelmed by the Merlion. As it turns out, the one she saw was the smaller, 2m-tall version of the Merlion statue.
“I’m a little disappointed after seeing the Merlion. It’s a small sculpture that sprays water. Back at home, [I] can easily find a fountain larger than this at any garden,” she wrote on her Xiaohongshu post.
Unbeknown to her, there are a total of six Merlion statues recognised by the Singapore Tourism Board.
The Merlion statue that she saw is commonly known as the “Merlion cub”, a smaller version of the larger and main Merlion attraction. The larger version is just a short walk away from where she was, perched close to Fullerton Hotel and across the water from Marina Bay Sands. A good indicator if you’re at the correct Merlion? It’s usually surrounded by swarms of tourists getting their photo with the statue.
Netizens were quick to jump into the comments section to tell her she was looking at the “wrong” statue, and some even asked if she was being serious.
“This is the actual Merlion’s child, you’re not looking at right one,” quipped one netizen. Others also attached beautifully taken shots of the main Merlion statue, showing her just what she had missed out on.
Then there were also those who schooled her on just how mistaken she was. “Thankfully I’ve visited, if you’re at an area with a good view, and you’re not blind, you’ll know this is not the Merlion everyone talks about,” remarked another tourist.
Unfortunately, some other netizens were misled by her post, with some asking if the Merlion is really that small IRL. “Were your expectations too high?” one asked.
We wonder if she ever managed to catch a view of the main Merlion statue in the end.