Merlion is a fictional animal with a lion's head. It was designed in 1964 by Fraser Bruner, then curator of Van Crever Aquarium. Two years later, it was adopted as a symbol by Singapore Tourism Board, and it has been used until 1997.

The design of Merlion's head was inspired by a legend about Singapore's history. According to the Malay Chronicle, in the 1 1 century, a prince named San Niro Udama from the Three Buddhist Countries came to Singapore on his way to Malacca. As soon as he landed, he saw a magical beast, and his entourage told him it was a lion. He named Singapore "Singapura" (Sanskrit means "Lion City"). Fishtail is because Singapore is an island, and everything about it is closely related to the ocean. Fish represents the past of this country. In the past, Singapore was just a fishing village and a small town on the sea. Lions have a double meaning. It represents the original name of Singapore, which means Lion City, and also symbolizes Singapore's strength in today's global economy.