Chan Chun Sing poses with Merlion statue in Australia, among the few Merlion statues outside of Singapore
During his official visit to Australia, Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing stopped by a Merlion statue at Rockhampton Airport.
The statue, which stood just outside the airport, symbolises the close ties between the two cities and serves as a familiar sight for arriving Singaporeans.
In a Facebook post on Saturday (4 Oct), Mr Chan shared a selfie with the Merlion station with the hashtag “#GuessWhere”.
Source: Chan Chun Sing on Facebook
“Wow… how the Merlion has grown since,” he quipped in his caption, pointing out the smaller-than-usual size of the iconic statue behind him.
Netizens join in on the fun
Many netizens quickly identified the statue as being in Rockhampton City, Australia.
Source: Facebook
Some played along with Mr Chan’s joke, suggesting the Merlion had not only shrunk but had also “migrated” from Singapore.
Source: Facebook
One user shared that there are two similar “little” Merlions in Ang Mo Kio back in Singapore.
Source: Facebook
Another said that they saw the Merlion “grow in Medan too”, referring to the Merlion statue in the “mini Singapore” of Medan, Indonesia.
Source: Facebook
Symbol of Singapore-Australia ties
According to the Singapore High Commission in Canberra, Rockhampton has been supporting the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) through Exercise Wallaby, SAF’s largest annual overseas unilateral exercise.
Thus, the statue of the mythical creature is a “testament to the close ties” between the two cities.
Source: Singapore High Commission in Canberra
Apart from Rockhampton, several Merlion sculptures can be found outside of Singapore.
Seven of them reside in Japan, which has an 8.6m-tall Merlion in Hakodate, Hokkaido.
Beyond Asia, visitors can also spot a Merlion statue in the British theme park, Chessington World of Adventures.
Also read: 8-metre seahorse statue in Cambodia bears striking resemblance to Merlion
8-metre seahorse statue in Cambodia bears striking resemblance to Merlion
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Featured image adapted from Chan Chun Sing on Facebook and Singapore High Commission in Canberra on Facebook.
