Merlion The Merlion, designed in 1964 as the symbol of the Singapore Tourist Bureau has become one of the best known sights of Singapore. It stands at the entrance of the Singapore river with the Fullerton hotel and some impressive skyscrapers as backdrop. I could not get everything in one picture, so above is the lion and below are the skyscrapers. Two more shots of the Merlion from different angles: That same day I had planned to take a harbour cruise. After taking leave of the Lion I headed back to the MRT station and a short time later found myself and many others boarding the boat that would take us around Singapore's busy harbor.