Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi has transformed Singapore's most famous landmark, the merlion, into a one-bedroom hotel as part of the Singapore Biennale 2011 Open House art project.

The lion/fish was dreamed up in 1964 by the Singapore tourist board as a symbol for the city representing a mix between 'singapura' ('lion city') and the sea where Singapore's history was based. Later, in 1972, it was turned into a statue on Marina Bay and has since become a main feature of the city.

by D J Clark

Slideshow: Merlion Hotel

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About D J Clark

D J Clark has worked worldwide as a multimedia journalist for more than 20 years. As well as working for China Daily he runs an MA course in Multimedia journalism at Beijing Foreign Studies University and is the Director of Visual Journalism at the Asia Center for Journalism in Manila, Philippines.