Annual Kusu pilgrimage season losing Singapore devotees
October 14, 2013 Leave a comment
Annual Kusu pilgrimage season losing devotees
Published on Oct 13, 2013
A man prays to the Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) at Kusu Island’s Da Bo Gong Temple on Oct 13, 2013. The annual Kusu pilgrimage season, which coincides with the ninth lunar month and is ongoing from Oct 5 to Nov 2, appears to be losing its lustre. — ST PHOTO: MARK CHEON
By Walter Sim
The annual Kusu pilgrimage season, which coincides with the ninth lunar month and is ongoing from Oct 5 to Nov 2, appears to be losing its lustre. Last year, some 47,000 devotees made the 15-minute ferry trip to Kusu Island, according to the Sentosa Leisure Group, which manages the island located 5.6km away from Singapore. This year, about 14,000 people have made the pilgrimage so far, said Mr Ryden Fang, general manager of Singapore Island Cruise & Ferry Services, which exclusively runs scheduled ferry trips to Kusu. He added there has been a drop in visitorship of about 5,000 people each year since 2007.