‘狮城’ (shī chéng) literally means ‘Lion City’ and is the widely accepted Chinese name for Singapore. The term originates from a legendary account in which a Sumatran prince saw a lion-like animal upon landing on the island in the 13th century—though lions have never inhabited Singapore, the sighting led to the name ‘Singapura’ in Sanskrit (‘simha’ meaning lion, ‘pura’ meaning city), later adapted into Chinese as 狮城. Both characters contribute directly: 狮 (shī) means ‘lion’, and 城 (chéng) means ‘city’ or ‘walled town’.

This term is used almost exclusively in formal, literary, or media contexts—not in everyday spoken Mandarin when referring to Singapore casually (where 新加坡 xīn jiā pō is standard). It carries a poetic, historical, or symbolic resonance, often appearing in official slogans, tourism promotions, academic writing, or cultural commentary about Singapore’s identity and heritage.