Merlion Coloring Pages

A Symbol of Singapore

The Merlion is a statue in Singapore, a country in Southeast Asia.
It has a strange shape with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.
It is about 8.6 meters tall and weighs about 70 tons!
It spouts water powerfully from its mouth into the sea.
Many people who visit Singapore take photos in front of this statue.

Reasons for the Lion and the Fish

The lion's head comes from Singapore's old name, "Singapura."
This name is said to mean "Lion City."
The fish body shows that Singapore used to be a small fishing village by the sea.
So, the Merlion puts both the city's name and its beginnings into one statue!

A Statue Born in 1972

The Merlion statue made its debut in 1972 at the mouth of the Singapore River.
After that, a bridge was built nearby, which blocked the view from the sea.
So in 2002, the whole statue moved to where it is today.
Moving a statue that weighs 70 tons was a really big job!

The Merlion from the Front

The 1st coloring page shows the Merlion from the front.
You can clearly see the lion's face with its wide open mouth and the stepped mane around its head.
Try coloring the fish scales on its lower body and the wave-shaped base under the statue carefully, too!

The Building with a Ship on Top

On the 2nd and 3rd coloring pages, the building behind the Merlion is Marina Bay Sands.
A ship-shaped rooftop sits on top of three tall buildings.
The 2nd page shows the Merlion up close, looking up at it.
The 3rd page shows a wide view across Marina Bay.
Have fun showing the water falling into the bay in a big arc!

Not a World Heritage Site, but...

The Merlion is not a World Heritage Site.
Singapore's World Heritage Site is the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Even so, the Merlion is the symbol of the country that everyone thinks of first.
Place it next to coloring pages of famous spots in other countries and enjoy a world trip!

Around Merlion Park

The Merlion stands in Merlion Park, which faces Marina Bay.
All around the bay, famous spots in Singapore stand side by side, like tall buildings, a theater with spiky round roofs, and a big Ferris wheel.
At night, lights shine on the Merlion, giving it a different look than in the daytime!

Leave the statue white, and add shadows with light gray

The Merlion statue is mostly white.
Don't color the whole thing, and leave lots of the paper white.
If you put light gray or light light blue under the layers of the mane and around the edges of the scales, the bumpy shapes will really stand out.
The trick is to leave the side with the light hit it white, and put shadows only on the other side!

Use light blue and white for the spitting water

For the water shooting out of its mouth, draw a few lines of light blue and leave the rest white.
If you leave white splashes where the water hits, it will look super powerful.
For the water in the bay, layer blue and blue-green, and try making it a little darker along the wave lines.

Marina Bay Sands is blue and gray

The three buildings behind look blue-gray because the sky shows in the glass.
Use light gray for the ship part on the roof, and make the edges a little darker.
If you make the far-away buildings light and color the Merlion in front clearly, you can really tell what is close and far!

The blue sky of a southern country

Singapore is a warm country all year long.
Color the sky a bright light blue, and leave the clouds white.
For the streaky clouds on the 3rd page, if you put light blue only around the white lines, they will look light and thin.
It is fun to color the wave pattern on the statue's stand by taking turns with blue and light blue!

Try making a night Merlion

If you color the sky dark blue or navy blue and put yellow dots on the building windows, it turns into a night view.
If you leave the Merlion statue white, it looks like it is shining under the lights!

Actually, There Is Another Little Merlion!

In Merlion Park, there is also a small Merlion behind the big Merlion.
People call it the "baby Merlion," and it is about 2 meters tall.
When you find the big statue, make sure to look behind it, too!

The Shape of the Merlion Came from a Travel Logo

The shape of the Merlion was originally created as a logo for Singapore's tourism office.
The big statue was made based on that logo.
Now, you can find the Merlion on lots of souvenir snacks and keychains!

Did the Merlion Move Because of a Bridge?

The Merlion moved because the Esplanade Bridge was built nearby.
The bridge made it hard to see the statue from the sea.
In its current spot, it spits water freely toward Marina Bay.

There Are Several Merlion Statues

In Singapore, there are several other Merlion statues besides the ones in the park.
Merlion statues approved by the country's tourism office stand all around the city.
If you visit Singapore, it would be fun to try to find them all!