Lion head symbol of Singapore

The lion head symbol was introduced in 1986 as an alternative national symbol of Singapore. The lion head was chosen as a logo, as it best captures the characteristics of Singapore's reputation as a Lion City. It is used in less formal occasions mainly to promote Singapore's national identity.

When it was first unveiled, some sections of the public felt that it should have been facing rightwards to represent a more forward looking nature. However, the original left-facing lion was maintained.

In the 13th-century Malay Annals, Sang Nila Utama, a prince from Palembang was shipwrecked and washed ashore to an island. There he saw a creature which he believed was a lion. So he named the island "Singa Pura" (in Tamil language Singa puram) which means "Lion City" in Malay, from which the name Singapore was derived.

According to the Singapore government:

Extracted from Guidelines on the use of National Symbols: The Singapore Lion Symbol (July 1999) published by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts:

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