Tuesday, January 12, 2010

National Symbols of Singapore


This card reached me last October from Singapore. It shows two national symbols of the city state, which consists of several islands and is bordered by Malaysia to the North and Indonesia to the South. The city of Singapore is situated on the main island, which is connected to the Malaysian main land by two bridges.

The Merlion was designed by Fraser Brunner in 1964, one year before Singapore gained its independence, as a symbol for the Singapore Tourism Board. The artist Lim Nang Seng created the 8.6 m tall statue with a lion head and a fish tail in 1972. According to legend, prince Sang Nila Utama stranded on the island and saw an animal he thought to be a lion. Consequently he called the city “Singapura”, meaning lion city. The fish body represents the old name of the settlement, Temasek, meaning sea town, thus remembering the origin of the city as a fishing village. The cement statue and its 2 m tall cub were originally placed at the mouth of the Singapore River. In 2002 it was relocated 120 meters to a newly built park after a new bridge had blocked its view from the waterfront.

The Vanda Miss Joaquim became Singapore’s national flower in 1981. The hybrid between the Vanda teres and the Vanda hookerana was first discovered in 1893 by Miss Agnes Joaquim. It was picked as a national symbol from 40 other flowers for its qualities that were thought to best represent the nation. The orchid is known for its resilience, which reflect Singapore’s quest for progress and excellence. As a hybrid it is also a symbol for the multi-cultural heritage of the country.

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