I have never paid much attention to the Queen Victoria Fountain on previous visits to Merdeka Square, preferring instead to focus on the magnificent copper-domed Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the other elegant landmarks nearby.
The fountain was sent out from Britain to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897 but apparently was not assembled on site until 1904, by which time Victoria had already died. The delay might have been because it was originally intended to be located in Market Square but the police thought it would cause a traffic obstruction so it was set up on the padang instead, close to Chartered Bank.
It’s commendable that KL Municipality has preserved the fountain in working order for the past 110 years but I can’t say it is an object of great beauty. The green tiles are reminiscent of a Victorian public toilet and the eight statues in the fountain’s base are just plain ugly.
Some guide books refer to these creatures as ‘winged lions’. On closer inspection, they don’t look much like lions. More like gryphons, the heraldic beasts of the City of London, with dragons’ wings, knobbly torsos and fishy faces. They remind me of the scary monsters in the episode of Fireball XL5 (or was it Stingray?) that frightened me so much as a child that I had to hide behind the sofa!
The shape of the top of the fountain bears some resemblance to KL Tower and blends in well with the city skyline.
I passed by the Merdeka Square on the way to work everyday. I’ve seen the fountain everyday, but only know what it is called when I read this post. I do agree that it looked like the KL tower at the background. Such a beautiful architecture!
Thanks for commenting Jill. What a nice commute to work you have!
I have seen the fountain and I found it as an amazing feature because it has historical value and the fact that it is still working. About the toilet thing, do u mean all the toilet back then using that kind of tiles?
Hi Khai. I meant that in Victorian era England they were fond of using similar tiles in such places as public toilets and London Underground stations.
Ah, ok I got it! ;D
Hi, according to another source, this fountain is called the Cop’s Fountain. It was built in 1897 in memory of Steve Harper, an inspector of the Selangor Military Police. I am now trying to get more info on it so that I can decide to call it the Cop’s Fountain or the Queen Victorian Fountain.
Interesting. Hope you can find out more and let us know.