The Merlion Problem

The Merlion is tourist mascot, so far the lion still remains our country's national symbol and it is rightfully so. I tried to create something from this and I stumbled onto the war monument at City Hall, but it was too grim for a unifying symbol in story-telling. Enough of "War Diary" and "The Awakening"(Singapore's first WW2 drama). I needed a universal symbol for the story.
The old British flag for Singapore has three castle symbols representing us, Penang and Malacca, all of which are it's main trading post in South East Asia. What I discovered was very little in Singapore was indigenious, everything was brought there by settlers, conquerors, travelers and traders. The city had already grew and extinguished once before the British arrived.

The city was built by migrant Asians seeking their fortunes after the rise of the European Imperial powers. This is in conjunction with decline of Asian civilizations, namely India and China. Once safely secured in their own nations, these poor and huddled masses are forced to leave their country for survival. For this story, I would classify this migration as the “Exodus.”

It is therefore note-worthy that people in Singapore created a city on their own with their own strength, creation out of nothing on an island that has little and the masses believed that they will succeed. The tales of returnees spread throughout South Indian and China and the region soon becomes a beacon of hope for them to rebuild their lives and more followed in their footsteps.

This concept of hope (“This is also very American”) is placed in the form of a “Light Tower” for my steam-punk Singapore. Hence, lion and light-tower became a Lighthouse shaped in the form of lion. It is a symbol hope for migrants and settlers in the story.

I have yet to complete a sketch for landmark which is now essential to my story and I will post it when it’s done. “Long live the people!”