Kusu turtles and an island born from a shell (12 photos)

Off the southern coast of Singapore, where the waves whisper to the wind, lies Kusu Island, or “Turtle Island.”





Its name in Hokkien speaks for itself: here, stone sculptures of turtles greet visitors at every turn, and local legends tell of a magnanimous giant who saved sailors at the cost of his own freedom.

A Myth That Has Survived the Ages



In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, two fishermen were caught in a storm and found themselves on the brink of death. But a huge turtle emerged from the depths and turned into an island, giving them shelter. The grateful sailors returned a year later with gifts, starting a pilgrimage tradition. Today, thousands of people come to Kusa to worship at the Da Bo Gun Temple (Tua Pek Kong) and the three Malay keramat shrines. And at the foot of the stairs leading to the temples, they are greeted by a turtle sanctuary - a symbol of mercy frozen in stone.





Kusu was once a tiny piece of land (1.2 hectares), but in 1975 it was expanded to 8.5 hectares by adding landfill. During colonial times, the island served as a cemetery for immigrants who died in quarantine on the neighboring islands of St. John and Lazarus. Now it is a place of celebration: during the pilgrimage, a hacker center opens here - a gastronomic calling card of Singapore.





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