The mythical story of the founding of Singapore tells of a prince named Seri Teri Buana who sailed to the shores of the island to start a new settlement. While his men was clearing the land, a majestic beast appears, and catches his attention. His men claimed that it was a lion (or singa), and thus, he named the city Singapura, or the Lion City. The original Malay text of the Sejarah Melayu (the Malay Annals) is reproduced below:
"...melintas seekor binatang maha tangkas lakunya, merah warna bulu tubuhnya, kehitam-hitaman kepalanya, dan putih dadanya; sikapnya terlalu perkasa, besar sedikit daripada kambing randuk. Setelah ia melihat orang banyak itu. lalu ia melompat, ghaib daripada mereka itu.
Maka titah Seri Teri Buana,"Apa nama binatang yang serupa itu?" Maka seorang pun tiada menyahut. Maka sembah Demang Lebar Daun, "Tuanku, ceritera orang patik dengar, yang demikian sifat dan kelakuan binatang itu, singa konon namanya, tuanku. "Maka titah baginda, "Patutlah kita perbuat negeri tempat ini, kerana binatang gagah ada di dalamnya; dan sebutlah Temasek ini Singapura!"
The setting for many of the subsequent stories in the Sejarah Melayu can be found here on the slopes of what is today Fort Canning Park as the hill is the literal and legendary cradle of Singapura. Explore the paths of what was once known as Bukit Larangan (the Forbidden Hill), a place where no common folk would dare thread for fear of offending the royalty, to learn about the legends of 14th Century Singapore. You'll see where ancient kings bathed in a sacred spring and stand at the spot where a local strongman named Badang allegedly lifted and tossed a rock towards the mouth of the Singapore River.
This cache is located on a terrace known as the Walk of the Five Kings. Here, with the aid of interpretive boards, you can learn about the mythological and historical origins of the first settlement of Singapore from the stories of the original five Malay Rulers of the island while enjoying a view of the modern city from the shaded slopes of the hill.
There is a set of escalators leading up from Fort Canning MRT station through Jubilee Park that you can use to ascend to the terrace (a luxury not afforded to old Kings of yore). Or, if you feel like you could use a bit of exercise, there are many paths leading up the side of the hill from either Hill Street, River Valley Road or Clemenceau Avenue. I hope you enjoy this quiet little spot in the city and the hunt for the cache!