This is a multi-cache, which means that you will need to collect information along the way to calculate the final cache coordinates. The published coordinates provide a good starting point to begin your hunt, but there is no physical cache hidden here. The whole walk and hunt should take no more than 30 minutes, even at the most leisurely pace.
Introduction to Emerald Hill
Tired of the crowds of Orchard Road? Bored of all that ultra-modern glass and steel architecture? Craving a little walk down memory lane? Well, there’s this little hidden corner of the Orchard District known as Emerald Hill, where you can see how the area looked like before the glitz took over.
Before all the urban development you see today, Orchard Road was once filled with orchards (what else?). The area that is now Emerald Hill was once part of William Cuppage’s nutmeg plantation. In the early 20th Century, with the area becoming more desirable as a residential area, being in a pleasant leafy area just outside the city, the former plantation land was subdivided, sold off and redeveloped into an upscale residential area. Indeed, much of the land around Orchard Road saw the same redevelopment, greatly improving the prestige of the area as the choice residential area for the affluent and prominent members of Singapore’s colonial society.
The land on Emerald Hill was bought over by prominent Peranakan Chinese (Chinese immigrants who intermarried and assimilated with the local Straits culture). These developers were keen to both show off their wealth and their unique cultures. Thus, they built rows of double-storied terrace houses in what is now known as the Straits Eclectic Style, an architectural style found nowhere else outside the Straits Settlements. Combining components of traditional Malay houses, European architecture and Chinese icons, the houses are a beautiful convergence of the cultures that define Singapore. As you walk up Emerald Hill, note the various elements of the Straits Eclectic Style: the pintu pagar (half doors outside the main door to allow ventilation within the house while still maintaining privacy), the European half-columns and the Chinese-inspired reliefs of phoenixes, bats and flowers.
While most of the other parts of the Orchard District has been redeveloped in the late 20th century, somehow, Emerald Hill’s heritage buildings remained intact and, in fact, have been faithfully restored to their original splendour. Truly, the Hill is a hidden architectural gem.
The Cache
While you enjoy the quaint neighbourhood, I’m sure you want do a little caching on the side. Well, it’s your lucky day, there is indeed a cache to find here! But, first, some legwork is required.
The published coordinates will bring you to the vicinity of 6 Emerald Hill Road, where you’ll find a plaque describing the history of the building here. As you walk up the road, there are 5 other similar plaques. Gather the following information from each plaque to calculate the final cache coordinates:
6 Emerald Hill Road:
The digit sum of the year the building here was built = X
41 Emerald Hill Road:
The digit sum of the year the photo was taken = A, and the digit sum of the year the building was designed = B
45 Emerald Hill Road:
The digit sum of the year the photo was taken = C, and the digit sum of the year the building was designed = D
66 Emerald Hill Road:
The digit sum of the year the photo was taken = E, and the digit sum of the year the building was developed = F
74 Emerald Hill Road:
The digit sum of the year the photo was taken = G
77 Emerald Hill Road
The digit sum of the year the photo was taken = Y
Hint: The digit sum is the summation of the 4 digits of the year e.g. the digit sum of 2018 is 2 + 0 + 1 + 8 = 11
Final coordinates can be obtained from the following formula:
N001 18. (100 + A + B + C + D + E + F + G)
E103 50. (360 - X - Y)
Good luck and enjoy the walk!
PS: Yes, I know I just bowldlerised the lyrics of a song from that most amazing of musicals, “Wicked”, but I really couldn’t resist the reference.