Bakit tinawag na Singapore ang lugar nang Singapore.
From 29 August 2022, all travellers can enjoy quarantine-free travel in Singapore, subject to pre-departure COVID-19 testing for non-fully vaccinated travellers.
Wax statue display of Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdu’r Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor
ABOUT
SINGAPORE
The story of Singapore is rich with twists, turns and triumphs.
Get to know how far Singapore has come through the city’s colourful past.
1/4 A long, long time ago…
The old Keppel Harbour in Singapore
While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in time, a third century Chinese account describes it as “Pu-luo-chung”, referring to “Pulau Ujong” which means the “island at the end of a peninsula” in the Malay language. Later, the city was known as Temasek (“Sea Town”), when the first settlements were established from AD 1298-1299.
During the 14th century, this small but strategically-located island earned a new name. According to legend, Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang (the capital of Srivijaya), was out on a hunting trip when he caught sight of an animal he had never seen before. Taking it to be a good sign, he founded a city where the animal had been spotted, naming it “The Lion City” or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words “simha” (lion) and “pura” (city).
The city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the natural meeting point of sea routes, the city flourished as a trading post for vessels such as Chinese junks, Arab dhows, Portuguese battleships, and Buginese schooners.
