Siong Leng's pilgrimage to Kusu Tua Pek Kong Temple

Kusu Tua Pek Kong Temple. Nov 2012.

3 Nov 2012 (Sat):

On the evening of 3 Nov 2012, thanks to the kind invitation of a friend, Victor, I joined Siong Leng members and supporters on a trip to Kusu Island.

To get to Kusu Island, one has to take a ferry from the Marina South Pier. To get to the Marina South Pier, take the MRT train to Marina Bay station, exit from Exit A, walk to the nearest bus-stop on the same side as the station, and take bus service 402 (red plate). The Marina South Pier is about three 3 bus-stops away. Due to the number of constructions along the way, it was difficult to count the number of bus-stops while I was on the bus. I have found it helpful to ask the bus-driver to give me a cue when the bus reaches the bus-stop nearest to the Marina South Pier. The details of the ferry schedule can be found here: http://www.islandcruise.com.sg/index.html

Marina South Pier.

One of the ferries that took us to Kusu island.

I learnt that for many years, Siong Leng has been visiting Kusu Island during the 9th lunar month of each year. Kusu island is one of the Southern islands in Singapore. Its name means "Turtle Island" in Chinese. On this island is a well-known Chinese temple, Kusu Tua Pek Kong Temple. I heard that when the Siong Leng members and supporters reached the Chinese temple, they chanted a Buddhist mantra to Tua Pek Kong and the resident deities in the temple.

Kusu Island

During the trip to Kusu Island, I also ventured to the nearby Kusu Keramat that was up a hill to offer my respect. After the visit to the Keramat, my friends and I explored the beach of Kusu. I felt calmed by the beauty of Nature.

To get to the Keramat, one has to climb a flight of stairs.

The beach.

When I was back in the Tua Pek Kong Temple, along with the other visitors, we settled ourselves down to enjoy a simple yet delicious packed vegetarian meal. I had a bowl of green bean soup. The green bean soup which was served by the temple was delicious.

Performance by Siong Leng. Nov 2012.

Thereafter, there was a performance dedicated to Tua Pek Kong. It was an informal performance where the performers sang and performed in plain clothes. The music was soothing. The cool evening breeze made it calming to simply listen to the performance and forget about everything else in the world temporarily. Actually, the weather was drizzling much of that evening.

Performance by Siong Leng. Nov 2012.

On the whole, it was a memorable trip, with soothing music, and thoughtful company. I felt thankful to join Siong Leng in its pilgrimage to Kusu Tua Pek Kong Temple.

Directions to get to Kusu Island
- Take bus service 402 (red plate) from Marina Bay station to the Marina South Pier.
- Take a ferry from the Marina South Pier, No.31 Marina Coastal Drive, Singapore 018988
http://www.islandcruise.com.sg/kusu-island.html

Also see:
https://www.facebook.com/sionglengmuseum
http://siongleng-nanyin.blogspot.sg/2012/11/pilgrimage-to-kusu-island.html