A new landmark has been unveiled in Kampot, a province in southern Cambodia, in the form of a majestic sea-horse fountain statue by the river, quickly becoming a popular tourist attraction and “check-in” spot for locals and visitors alike.
At first glance, this sea-horse statue, which spouts water from its mouth, bears a striking resemblance to Singapore’s iconic Merlion statue. Some tourists have even nicknamed it “Singapot,” a portmanteau of “Singapore” and “Kampot.”
The statue stands proudly outside the old provincial hall, overlooking the Kampong Bay river in Kampot. Despite being a sea-horse without a fish tail or lion’s head, its height of eight meters is comparable to the 8.6-meter Merlion statue. Both statues also spout water from their mouths, making it easy for people to draw comparisons between the two. The sea-horse statue was unveiled on Wednesday (April 10), just in time for the Cambodian New Year holiday from April 13 to 16.
The choice of a sea-horse for the statue was reportedly made to represent the rich biodiversity of Kampot’s waters. Kampot province governor Mao Thonin personally inspected the statue before the unveiling and emphasized that Kampot is an important tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors. The sea-horse statue is expected to become a new tourist attraction in the area.