1. Singapore's Little Putuoshan （小普陀）

      September, according to the lunar calendar, is a month of unpredictable weather. If friends come from afar during this time, I would definitely take them on an island trip. Not to Sentosa, because it's too artificial. Not to Pulau Ubin, because it's too remote. I'm talking about Kusu Island. 

      Kusu Island's layout is very similar to the Little Putuoshan on Erhai Lake in Yunnan. The island is small, covering 8.5 hectares, and you can walk around it in about half an hour. There's a temple on the island. If you want to burn incense, the only way is to take a boat. 

      The purpose of the pilgrims coming to the island is also consistent, it's just to pray. To pray for good fortune, wealth, and peace. Looking closely, Kusu Island is different from Little Putuoshan, with a distinct Nanyang atmosphere everywhere.

2. The Turtle Shows a Miracle, the Ancestors Land

      Let's start with the legends. The stories circulating on Kusu Island are all about how sailors were rescued by a divine turtle, and how the turtle even transformed into an island for the ancestors to live on. What message does this subconscious convey? “The helplessness of wandering, the guidance of the immortals, the wanderers finally land." Did our ancestors who came to Nanyang all go through this?

      At the foot of Kusu Island, the temple mainly worships Da Bo Gong and Guanyin. Da Bo Gong is the Chinese land god, and Guanyin is the compassionate ambassador who saves people from danger and has boundless power. The prototypes of Da Bo Gong and Guanyin both come from the Chinese homeland. The incense burning at the feet of Da Bo Gong and Guanyin reflects the ancestors' unbreakable ties to their homeland. Of course, they also hope that the gods will always protect them and bring them good fortune.

3. Malay Temple Priest Speaks Hokkien:

Cross-Cultural Worship

      Newcomers to the island, of course, must first greet the native gods, throw stones to ask for guidance, hoping that the gods will point them in the right direction, grant them wealth, and allow them to stay and settle down. So, in the shade of the small hill on Kusu Island, there is also a Malay temple.

      Today, people who come to Kusu Island to burn incense usually don't immediately turn back after worshipping Da Bo Gong and Guanyin. They will also go to the top of the hill, climbing 152 steps, to worship the three Malay gods at the top.

Worshipping both Buddhist deities and Malay gods is not common on the main island of Singapore. However, this custom is so natural and logical on Kusu Island.

      Da Bo Gong and Guanyin reside at the foot of the hill, in a traditional Chinese red brick and green tile building. The Malay deities at the top of the hill live in a Malay-style stilt house. The walls are painted a bright yellow, reflecting the Malay people's cheerful optimism and sunny disposition. The temple priest who manages the Malay temple doesn't speak English well, but he can speak simple Hokkien. The devout men and women patiently and orderly form a long line, one by one approaching the priest, letting him hold their hands, and in Hokkien with a Malay accent, he recites prayers, asking the Malay gods for blessings. The priest is quick-witted and adapts to the situation. Seeing a woman, he will ask the Malay gods to bless her family with peace and health. Seeing a man, he will ask for good fortune. Seeing a child, he will ask for “good behavior."

      Why does the Malay temple priest speak Hokkien instead of Malay? Is it because he needs to speak to the worshippers? Or has the Malay god learned to understand Hokkien after living here for so long? Whatever the reason, the whole process makes me feel the intermingling of folk cultures, you in me, and me in you. Harmony and friendship.

4. Praying for Fortune, Wealth, and Peace:

The Practicality of Folk Culture

    When worshipping the Malay gods, people burn Chinese incense and paper money. However, the ceremony also has a Malay folk style.

       If you're not satisfied with the priest's prayers, you can ask him for a red plastic bag, put a stone in it, and put your personal wishes in it. Then, hang the bag on a tree, and only take it down when your wish comes true the following year.

      Praying for fortune, wealth, and peace is very common, but also very practical. These basic prayers are expressed through the priest's lively voice. The smoke-filled temple, the friendly interaction between people, their hands clasped together in prayer, all convey warmth.

    The unpredictable weather of September makes people especially eager to worship. No wonder, in September on Kusu Island, countless pilgrims come and go with the tide, in a steady stream.