Kusu Island

Kusu means tortoise island in Hokkien, and the legend is of a turtle that turned itself into an island to save two shipwrecked men, one Chinese and one Malay. Both are commemorated: a Chinese temple to Tua Pek Kong stands near the jetty with a turtle sanctuary beside it, and three keramat, Malay shrines, sit on the hilltop up a flight of a hundred and fifty-two steps. During the ninth lunar month tens of thousands come on pilgrimage.

Background

In Malay the island is called Pulau Tembakul, and it is also known as Peak Island. It lies about 5.6 kilometres south of the main island. In the 17th century it went by the name Governor's Island, and in 1806 the Scottish hydrographer James Horsburgh renamed it Goa Island. After Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819, ships bound for the new port used the island as a reference point, and a signal station went up in 1822. Reclamation in 1975 enlarged two small outcrops of 2.5 ha in total into an 8.5 ha island for recreation. Nobody is allowed to live there. Fire badly damaged the keramats on 17 April 2022, and most repairs were finished before that year's pilgrimage season.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kusu Island"

What you'll find

• The Tua Pek Kong temple - the Chinese temple near the jetty with its turtle pond.
• The hilltop keramat - three Malay shrines reached up 152 steps.
• The turtle sanctuary - live tortoises kept beside the temple.
• The pilgrimage - tens of thousands visiting during the ninth lunar month.

When to go

The ninth lunar month, usually October or November, is the pilgrimage and extra ferries run. The rest of the year is quiet with limited sailings. Weekdays are near empty.

What to expect

Ferry services are infrequent outside the pilgrimage season and the schedule dictates everything. The shrines are places of worship and behaviour matters. There is little shade.

Nearby

St John's and Lazarus are on the same ferry route.

Key facts