Why was Singapore called of the

The Chinese name for Singapore is 新加坡 (Xīnjiāpō), which means "Lion City". This name originated from the legend of a Javanese prince named Sang Nila Utama who landed on the island in 1299 and saw a strange beast which he believed to be a lion. As the island seemed prosperous from above and the Chinese character for the letter "Lion" also meant to prosper one's affairs, he decided to found the settlement known as "Lion City".

Sang Nila Utama landed close to where the mouth of the present Singapore River and Kallang River converge. That particular river in Old Malay became known as Singapura from Singa/Singga meaning lion and pura meaning city or town of.