The Merlion

Story of Prince Nila Utama, an adventurous boy and son of the Sultan of Palembang, a Malay kingdom in Southeast Asia, and the Merlion.

During his childhood, the young prince met a large and beautiful fish with a head of golden hair, at the bay near the palace, and developed a friendship after offering sweet potatoes to the fish.  He would feed the fish daily and watch it swim and dance in the water.  The fish suddenly disappeared after seven days and Prince Nila forgot about the short relationship over time.

Many years later, as an adult, leading a team of men on an expedition across the ocean, Prince Nila’s boat was caught in a typhoon and was mysteriously saved by a sea monster which turnout to be the long lost friend of the prince, the Merlion.

The story illustrates the magical relationship between the Merlion and Prince Nila with discovery of Singapura, the Malay term for “Lion City”.  

This fairy tale is linked to the founding of ancient Singapore, embracing historical friction with folklore. Merlion is the mascot of Singapore.