Figures from the singapore land authority show that over the past five years, about 42,000 people visited kusu island during the pilgrimage season each year. At the shrines, youll see yellow pieces of cloth tied to the trees and branches, each. But this food centre only comes alive during the kusu pilgrimage season during the chinese 9th lunar month when about 120,000 devotees would converge on the island. Many people continue to worship at the islands sacred sites, especially in the annual kusu pilgrimage season during the ninth lunar month, usually between. Oct 20, 2017 ferries will depart for kusu island from marina south pier from 7am daily during the pilgrimage season from friday oct 20 to nov 17, the singapore land authority says. During kusu pilgrimage season 18 october 2009 to 16 november 2009, ferry services to st johns island are suspended. The tua pek kong temple and the d atuk kong shrine were subsequently erected to remember them. We did manage to catch a glimpse of several monkeys there though. Located just a short ferry ride from singapores coast, kusu island is known by many names like tortoise island and peak island. Sep 24, 2019 tens of thousands of devotees are expected to visit the da bo gong, or tua pek kong, temple on kusu island during the island s annual pilgrimage season from sunday sept 29 to oct 27 read more. As of yesterday 12 days to the end of the season about 26,000 people have made the trip so far, said mr li guoli, the manager of singapore island cruise and ferry services, who provides daily 30minute ferry services to the island. Kusu means tortoise island or turtle island in hokkien. Theyre open yearround, but most devotees pay their respects during the annual kusu island pilgrimage season, which typically happens.
Kusu island is a tiny, yet intriguing and mythical sensation located off the southern coast of singapore. From two tiny outcrops on a reef, this island was enlarged and transformed into an island. Singapore land authority, 55 newton road, singapore 2020. The annual kusu pilgrimage season is between oct 18 and nov 16, when thousands of devotees pay homage at the tua pek kong temple and kramat shrines on the island. The annual pilgrimage season is usually between september and november and people head to the island to pray for peace and prosperity. Pilgrimage season starts tomorrow until 7 november. I visited this quaint little temple island during kusu pilgrimage season, which runs from 1st october to 30th october this year in 2016, so the island was super packed with people burning incense and paper to pray at the da bo gong temple to the god of prosperity. Visit to kusu island visited this place recently and found the place to be clean and quite well maintained. Many people continue to worship at the islands sacred sites, especially in the annual kusu pilgrimage season during the ninth lunar month, usually between september and november. Daybreaks, retreats, pilgrimage, or a fun outing with your family to kusu island are the scenarios that make this place so special. This island also happens to be the site of a massive yearly pilgrimage, so to continue my exploration of local lore in singapore i decided to check it. Apart from getting an edgy instagram of singapores skyline, heres what else you can do there. Seated atop the highest point on kusu island are the three keramats maintained by mr ishak and his family.
Theres normally no direct ferry to kusu and the trip, with the stop to st johns take 45 minutes. Kusu island is rather small and you can easily walk around the whole of the island in under an hour. Singapore island cruise operates regular ferries from the marina south pier to kusu island, with a short stop at st. Kusu island singapore 2020 all you need to know before.
The island is managed by sentosa development corporation sdc and all the wishing wells on the island belonged to them. Ferry will bring you from marina south pier to st johns island and then to kusu island before returning to marina south pier. Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to make their annual visit to kusu island during this years kusu pilgrimage season kps starting this sunday. Oct 11, 2016 kusu island 2016 an annual pilgrimage visit.
Oct 14, 2014 as of yesterday 12 days to the end of the season about 26,000 people have made the trip so far, said mr li guoli, the manager of singapore island cruise and ferry services, who provides daily. Historically kusu island was just two small outcrops on a shallow reef, and wasnt enlarged until 1975 when the area between the outcrops was filled and increased from 1. Anyway, the nostalgic setup prompted me to try the food. Be there to experience for yourself this uniquely singaporean culture.
The caretaker of da bo gong tua pek kong temple on kusu island just a 20minute boat ride from singapore stands astride the short flight of stairs leading to the temples inner prayer sanctum, his eyes fixed on the jetty in the near distance. More about kusu island on the wildsingapore website. Kusu island a pilgrimage visit courtesy singapore tourism. And hock sengs mother would love to play a card game called chap cheki similar to gin rummy and was popular with the babas and nyonyas then with mustaris mother needing extra help during the ninth month, hock sengs father asked mustaris father to work at the. Meaning turtle island in chinese and peak island pulau tembakul in malay, kusu island has a chinese temple and three malay keramat shrine for the worship of local deities.
Oct 30, 2017 theres normally no direct ferry to kusu and the trip, with the stop to st johns take 45 minutes. As of yesterday 12 days to the end of the season about 26,000 people have made the trip so far, said mr li guoli, the manager of singapore island cruise and ferry services, who provides daily. Jan 11, 20 the island is managed by sentosa development corporation sdc and all the wishing wells on the island belonged to them. Kusu island will definitely hit the spot with its gorgeous greenery and famous chinese temple. In the southern islands of singapore there is a very small stretch of land called kusu island. The southern islands are a group of islands located in the southernmost part of singapore, approximately 6km10km south from the mainland. Singapore land authority kusu pilgrimage 2018 facebook. In its heyday in the 1990s, more than 200,000 thronged the island during the season each year. Ferries will depart for kusu island from marina south pier from 7am daily during the pilgrimage season from friday oct 20 to nov 17, the singapore land authority says. It is strongly recommended that ferry tickets be bought in advanced, online to secure your seats. There are two departures on weekdays and more frequent service on weekends and during the kusu pilgrimage season.
We combine gacs logistics and shipping expertise to offer ship owners and management companies timesensitive, single source delivery of ship spares and marine parts. Kusu island is one of the southern islands in singapore, located about 5. Nov 14, 2005 but this food centre only comes alive during the kusu pilgrimage season during the chinese 9th lunar month when about 120,000 devotees would converge on the island. The 2015 kusu pilgrimage season will commence on october 2015 and end on 11.
The food stalls at the food centre seems to be like a temporary setup, which occurs only during the kusu pilgrimage season. Oct 01, 2015 kusu island a pilgrimage visit courtesy singapore tourism. Starting this thursday, thousands will make trips to the island to pray for good luck, prosperity and fertility, during the chinese lunar ninth month. When they died, they were buried next to each other on the island.
Keeping alive kusu island pilgrimage more related articlesa halfhour boat ride away from marina south pier by the straits times june 23, 2019 head to the southern islands for hidden charmtraces of asbestos, a hazardous material, have been by todayonline may 4, 2018 asbestos found on kusu island. The annual kusu pilgrimage season traditionally falls on the ninth month of the chinese lunar calendar and more than 100,000 devotees and visitors visited the tiny kusu island. Devotees taoists and buddhists visit to the kusu pilgrimage to pay homage to tua pek kong temple also known as da bo gong, a merchant god, guan yin goddess of mercy and there are other side altars to the sun. At da bo gong temple, built in 1923 and dedicated to the chinese god of prosperity, you will hear the whispers of worshippers through the wafting incense smoke. It consists of 8 major islands kusu island, lazarus island, pulau tekukor, st. Johns island, sisters islands count as 2, pulau hantu and sentosa. Pulau seringat is counted under lazarus, pulau hantu is. Turns out the kusu island hawker centre is usually unoccupied except during the annual kusu pilgrimage season 9th month of the lunar calendar, around september to november in the gregorian one. Expect a parking crunch and boarding delays at marina south pier for other southern island destinations during this traditional season.
Keeping alive kusu island pilgrimage sfj sqfeed journal. This year, the time has come, kusu pilgrimage season which falls on the th october 2015 to 11th november 2015 for a month long. The word kusu also means flatulence in tamil, one of singapores official languages. In the 1940s, hock sengs father regularly visited lazarus island from kusu island and knew mustaris father.
Keep your vessels moving with gac marine logistics gml. Devotees make their pilgrimage primarily during the ninth month of the chinese lunar calendar, which is considered sacred, as well as being the birthday month of tua pek kong, grand uncle in. Devotees taoists and buddhists visit to the kusu pilgrimage to pay homage to tua pek kong temple also known as da bo gong, a merchant god, guan yin goddess of mercy and. Kusu island is the site of an annual pilgrimage drawing both chinese and malay devotees.
Kusu island guide to explore a hidden gem of singapore. Kusu islands annual pilgrimage season starts on sunday. During this period, ferries for the pilgrimage will depart from marina south pier to kusu island from 7. The caretaker of da bo gong tua pek kong temple on kusu island just a. Tua pek kong temple, pilgrimage, and social change in pulau kusu, 19652007 by. In view of the anticipated large crowds and heavy traffic during the kusu pilgrimage season, the public is strongly advised to use public transport to get to msp and to visit kusu island during the weekdays and offpeak times where possible. Tens of thousands of devotees are expected to visit the da bo gong, or tua pek kong, temple on kusu island during the islands annual pilgrimage season from. Nextgen caretakers for kusu, singapore news asiaone. The visit to kusu island during kusu pilgrimage 9 oct 2018 7 nov 2018 is an annual event i look forward to and its a great time to visit to enjoy the island atmosphere. The island welcomes over 100,000 pilgrims during this period. Jun 07, 2016 turns out the kusu island hawker centre is usually unoccupied except during the annual kusu pilgrimage season 9th month of the lunar calendar, around september to november in the gregorian one. The public is also encouraged to purchase their ferry tickets in advance.
This year, the pilgrimage season to tortoise island kusu means tortoise or turtle in hokkien is from oct 20 to nov 17. Jul 23, 2019 theyre open yearround, but most devotees pay their respects during the annual kusu island pilgrimage season, which typically happens between september to november. Nov 09, 2017 figures from the singapore land authority show that over the past five years, about 42,000 people visited kusu island during the pilgrimage season each year. During the yearly pilgrimage in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, around october, you will find ferries every two hours even on weekdays. Kusu island the food stalls at the food centre seems to be. Limited parking and expect boarding delays at marina south pier for other southern island destinations during this traditional season. No ferry to st johns island during kusu pilgrimage season. There was only 3 stalls available during this time, maybe because its already the last day of the pilgrimage. Last year, 95,000 visitors thronged kusu island during the pilgrimage season. Dear island hoppers, kusu pilgrimage season 2017 will fall between 20th october to 17th november 2017. Every year for the month of september to october which falls on ninth month of chinese calendar, for a long month for the local residents, visitors and tourists alike visit to a kusu island. Kusu pilgrimage season 18 oct 09 to 16 nov 09 regular ferry services to kusu and st johns islands will be temporarily be suspended during the kusu pilgrimage. Johns island will be suspended during this traditional season.
Ferries to kusu island will depart from the marina south pier from 7am weekdays and 6. From the website of the ferry provider, singapore island cruise. The last ferry will depart from the pier at 5pm and leave kusu island at 7pm. Operating hours will start from 7am to 5pm daily and the last ferry back from kusu will be 7pm. The 2015 kusu pilgrimage season will commence on october 2015 and end on 11 november 2015. Theyre open yearround, but most devotees pay their respects during the annual kusu island pilgrimage season, which typically happens between september to november. Ferry does not go back to st johns from kusu island. Legend has it that the island came to be when a tortoise flipped itself over to save two sailors of a shipwreck. He comes here every season, and stays for a long time each time he visits. Tens of thousands of devotees are expected to visit the da bo gong, or tua pek kong, temple on kusu island during the islands annual pilgrimage season from sunday sept 29 to oct 27.
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