'They think it's just a picnic spot': Kusu Island regulars lament its declining appeal among youth

About 15,500 people visited during the pilgrimage last year, roughly half the 30,000 recorded in 2019.

Devotees at the Tua Pek Kong Temple on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

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SINGAPORE: For Mr Hoo Tiang Lai, the Kusu pilgrimage used to mean a bustling month-long event, with hawker stalls and souvenir shops serving thousands of pilgrims who descend on the island to visit its two religious sites.

These days, the annual pilgrimage is a quieter affair, with declining attendance and fewer stalls, said the 65-year-old, who has run hawker stalls at the pilgrimage for over 40 years.

"Last time there were 20 stalls, with many different owners. It was competitive and we had to tender for the stalls," said Mr Hoo, who sells drinks, noodles and finger food. “People would think that Kusu season got a lot of people sure visit, so they will spend the money to tender.”

This year's edition, which starts on Oct 10, will have just three food and beverage stalls and one souvenir stall.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less This follows a downward trend in attendance over the years. Visitorship in 2019 was about 30,000, according to the Singapore Land Authority. Under safe management restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance fell to about 11,200 in 2020 and about 9,400 in 2021, before rising to about 20,000 in 2022. It reached 22,500 in 2023, when the Tua Pek Kong Temple celebrated its centennial. Numbers then declined to about 18,500 in 2024 and 15,500 in 2025. During the annual pilgrimage, devotees visit the temple and climb 152 steps to a keramat, offering joss sticks and prayers at both sites. AGEING PILGRIMS Those involved point to an ageing pilgrim population and a lack of awareness among the younger generation as reasons for the declining numbers.

This follows a downward trend in attendance over the years. Visitorship in 2019 was about 30,000, according to the Singapore Land Authority. Under safe management restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance fell to about 11,200 in 2020 and about 9,400 in 2021, before rising to about 20,000 in 2022.

It reached 22,500 in 2023, when the Tua Pek Kong Temple celebrated its centennial. Numbers then declined to about 18,500 in 2024 and 15,500 in 2025.

During the annual pilgrimage, devotees visit the temple and climb 152 steps to a keramat, offering joss sticks and prayers at both sites.

Those involved point to an ageing pilgrim population and a lack of awareness among the younger generation as reasons for the declining numbers.

Mr Ishak Samsudin, a caretaker of the keramat on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

“The older people have passed away. Younger people don’t really know about Kusu. They think it’s just a picnic spot," said Mr Hoo.

Mr Ishak Samsudin, caretaker of the keramat on Kusu Island, echoed the sentiment.

“All the kids just usually follow their parents. So when their parents pass away, they stop coming, so the crowd is growing lesser and lesser," said the 65-year-old.

Tua Pek Kong Temple caretaker Seet Seng Huat said the fall in visitors is driven in part by the lack of knowledge among the younger generation.

Mr Seet Seng Huat, a caretaker of the Tua Pek Kong Temple on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

"They don’t know the significance of the pilgrimage, and the older generation have also not managed to convince them to come along or learn more about it," said the 78-year-old, who has been caretaker since 1986.

"The Kusu pilgrimage is actually very meaningful. It’s been passed down for so many generations, and has been taking place even before we were born."

Mr Seet and Mr Ishak said Malaysian visitors have dropped significantly over time; they once made up at least half of all pilgrims, Mr Ishak recalled.

Mr Li Guoli, manager of Singapore Island Cruise and Ferry Services, which operates ferries to Singapore's southern islands, said his firm has also seen fewer Malaysian visitors over the years.

“The stronger Singapore dollar against the Malaysian ringgit may be one contributing factor, as travelling to Singapore has become relatively more expensive for Malaysian visitors,” he said.

Heritage observers also noted the generational shift. Darma Persada University visiting professor William Gibson said: “Younger people probably look at this as kind of an old-fashioned superstition, and something that isn't as important in their own spiritual lives, and something that’s kind of a cultural event that becomes optional, as opposed to something that would be a necessary event in the calendar.”

Mr Ho Yong Min, founder of The Urbanist Singapore, which leads learning walks and curates heritage experiences for schools and organisations, added that accessibility is another issue.

“You can only get there by ferry, there's no overnight stay, and the keramat sits atop more than 100 steps – a real barrier for the ageing devotees who are often the most committed ones,” he said.

A worker prepares for the annual Kusu Island pilgrimage season at the keramat on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

DECLINING STALLS, DONATIONS

Smaller crowds have also thinned the pilgrimage's surrounding ecosystem, such as hawker stalls and souvenir shops.

Mr Hoo said around 12 souvenir stalls used to sell items like keychains, amulets and merchandise featuring the tortoise, a Kusu Island icon – a stark contrast to the sole one this year.

Mr Hoo Tiang Lai, a hawker at the annual Kusu Island pilgrimage for over 40 years, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

The 65-year-old employs about five full-time staff members on weekdays, with the team boosted to 10 on weekends with help from his family members.

The decline began about 20 years ago, when stall numbers fell to about five, he recalled.

"Nowadays, nobody wants to do this. Last time, there were two old-timers. They did this for very long, but after they passed away, nobody took over their businesses," he said.

Hidden costs, such as transport and setting up equipment like tables, make the business hard to sustain long term. Some first-timers have learnt the hard way, barely breaking even by the end of the pilgrimage month, said Mr Hoo.

A worker prepares a makeshift souvenir stall for the annual Kusu Island pilgrimage season at Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

Supplies also need careful planning because of the distance from the mainland, he said.

"It’s not like on the mainland, where if I want five packets of kway teow, I can just place an order with suppliers. Over here, if you don't have enough, you call already then have to wait here for three hours.”

Donations at the temple and keramat have also dropped significantly alongside the falling visitorship.

The pilgrimage month typically brings Kusu Island its peak crowd of the year, and the keramat its highest donations, said Mr Ishak, who took over the role from his father more than 20 years ago.

He said donations have fallen by "a lot" over the years. "Actually, when we are selling the joss sticks, we can see the size of the crowd from the day's sales," he said.

His father used to employ 20 full-time staff members at the keramat, maintaining the place by day and guiding devotees when they came to pray. When Mr Ishak took over, he cut the headcount to 10 to manage costs, reducing it further to five in the last two years.

Monthly costs, including tenancy to the government, insurance and transport, total about S$20,000, he said.

Workers prepare for the annual Kusu Island pilgrimage season at the keramat on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

Mr Seet said the Tua Pek Kong Temple’s donations have similarly declined. "Donations have dropped by a lot, but we try our best to manage," he said.

He noted, however, that the temple now relies less on the pilgrimage season for visitors and donations, as more frequent ferry services mean people visit on other days of the year too.

"Those who come and pray daily, will also donate a bit. Last time, only during the Kusu pilgrimage will we have people coming. Nowadays, the ferry runs every day and almost every hour, so we don't need to depend on the pilgrimage crowd only," said Mr Seet.

Visitors arrive on Kusu Island on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

"ONE YEAR MEET ONE TIME"

For Mr Hoo, setting up shop at Kusu during the pilgrimage season is not for profit, but to gather with old friends and serve the pilgrim community.

"We stay here for one month and never go back (to the mainland)," he said. "We all know each other, including the people from the temple and the keramat. So every night, we will gather and chit-chat; it's like some sort of friendship. One year we meet one time."

Mr Ishak said the pilgrimage is a unique event that captures Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious identity, drawing visitors from beyond either religion to the island's two sites.

"They may come here not exactly to pray, but just to pay their respects," he said. "It's very important we have to maintain this heritage, because if this type of place is no more, means no more, it's gone already."

Mr Victor Yue, 75, has made the annual journey to Kusu Island for about two decades.

Since 2006, he has coordinated trips for the Siong Leng Musical Association, which puts up a traditional Nanyin performance on the island each year. The group typically numbers about 100 people, said Mr Yue. A few return faithfully every year, while others are locals and foreigners curious about what takes place.

"Most Singaporeans when they go to Kusu pilgrimage, they will go down to pray to Tua Pek Kong, and they also go up to the keramat to pay respects to Datuk Nenek, which is also very interesting because the people up there will help you to petition to Datuk for blessings, in a mix of mixture of Malay and Hokkien," he said.

Devotees at the keramat on Kusu Island on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

Younger visitors especially find this unique, he said, and often record the process as it unfolds. "So it's more like a fun thing rather than a very serious religious thing for them," said Mr Yue.

For 15-year-old Dylan Sim, the pilgrimage carries a different weight.

The Secondary 3 student has made the trip twice: first with his maternal grandparents at age 10, and again last year with his Taoist group, the Quan Zhen Cultural Society.

Last year's visit was bittersweet, he said.

"When I was young, my grandparents brought me there. My grandfather is no longer around. He passed away a year after that trip we made," he said. "So when I went back there, it brought back memories for me, and it was quite meaningful to retrace the steps we took together."

The Tua Pek Kong Temple on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

He knew little about the pilgrimage's significance on that first trip, he said; his grandparents explained it to him on the ferry over.

Dylan believes most of his peers know even less.

"I realise that in my generation, not many people will go and learn about such traditions, like the story of the Tua Pek Kong Temple and how the island is a 'turtle island' and stuff like that," he said.

Social media content about the pilgrimage tends to draw older audiences rather than his own age group, he added.

"I think it is quite important for more youth or teenagers to participate and acknowledge this island, and for people to go there and understand its history and past stories. It's quite special that there's such a place on this island far away from the mainland,” he said.

FEW REMAINING PILGRIMAGE TRADITIONS

The Urbanist's Mr Ho said it would be fair, if understated, to describe the Kusu pilgrimage as one of Singapore's few remaining local pilgrimage traditions.

“For well over a century, Chinese and Malay devotees have made the same sea crossing to Kusu, often visiting sacred spaces associated with traditions beyond their own,” he said.

“Most of our religious calendar plays out within the city. Kusu Island asks for an actual journey out to sea to a place you can't casually wander into. That separation from everyday life is what makes it an intentional pilgrimage.”

Kusu means "tortoise" in Hokkien, and legend has it that a giant tortoise transformed itself into land to save two shipwrecked sailors, one Chinese and one Malay.

If participation continues declining, what Singapore risks losing is not the legend of the island itself, which can still be told in a book or online, said Mr Ho.

“What's at risk is the legend as something believed and enacted, kept alive by people choosing to go every year and be part of it.”

Prof Gibson said the pilgrimage, which can be traced back to the 1840s, also links Singapore to the wider region. Sites off Malacca and in North Jakarta have similar keramat and Tua Pek Kong Temple combinations.

“We'll always have those kinds of memorialisations of the event. But if the event itself ceases to happen, or becomes only kind of perfunctory or something done for tourists, then it loses something quite intangible.”

Heritage observers said efforts should focus on preserving the pilgrimage's meaning and continuing the tradition, even as the community shrinks.

“I don't think numbers will recover, and I'd question chasing them as the goal. The forces behind the decline, secularisation and an ageing devotee base, are structural, not sentimental. Sadly, I don’t think a campaign can reverse that,” said Mr Ho.

Makeshift tents being built on Kusu Island, on Sep 27, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

Still, he called efforts to help the Kusu story find new life, including its inclusion in this year's Singapore Night Festival, "heartening".

Prof Gibson said the decline in pilgrim numbers is something "any cultural institution that represents the past has to deal with" as it seeks relevance in the modern world.

“If you turn it into a tourist attraction more than it already is, then I think it gets watered down and becomes a kind of simplistic gesture, and I don't think that would be a very good solution either.”

However, Mr Ho said the island's recreational draw offers an opportunity to keep the Kusu story alive, noting that some younger Singaporeans already bring their children to the island for the lagoons and the tortoise sanctuary.

“The gap is connecting that visit to the history sitting right next to it, through better on-site interpretation, documenting the oral histories while the older devotees are still around to tell them, and giving schools and heritage groups more reason to build a proper visit around the pilgrimage season,” he said.

Prof Gibson suggested that beyond government initiatives, preserving the pilgrimage could be a grassroots effort, with participants themselves controlling its direction.

“The loss would be profound, but ultimately, if people no longer are interested in participating in that as an important part of their daily life, then you can't force them to do it,” he said.

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去年朝圣期间约有 15,500 人到访，大约是 2019 年记录的 30,000 人的一半。

2026年9月27日，信徒们在龟屿大伯公庙参拜。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：对于胡天来先生来说，龟屿朝圣曾经意味着为期一个月的热闹盛事，小贩摊位和纪念品商店为成千上万涌入该岛参观两处宗教场所的朝圣者提供服务。

这位65岁的老人说，如今一年一度的朝圣活动冷清了许多，参加人数减少，摊位也减少了。他已经在朝圣活动中经营小贩摊位超过40年了。

“上次有20个摊位，摊主各不相同。竞争非常激烈，我们不得不竞标摊位，”售卖饮料、面条和小吃的胡先生说。“人们会认为龟屿旅游旺季肯定会有很多人来，所以他们会花钱去竞标。”

今年的活动将于10月10日开始，届时将只有三个食品饮料摊位和一个纪念品摊位。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 这与多年来参观人数的下降趋势相符。根据新加坡土地管理局的数据，2019年的参观人数约为3万人。在新冠疫情期间的安全管理限制下，2020年参观人数下降至约1.12万人，2021年约为9400人，之后在2022年回升至约2万人。2023年，大伯公庙庆祝百年华诞，参观人数达到2.25万人。随后，朝圣人数在2024年下降至约18,500人，2025年下降至约15,500人。在一年一度的朝圣活动中，信徒们会前往寺庙，攀登152级台阶到达圣坛，并在寺庙和圣坛两处供奉香烛和祈祷。朝圣者老龄化 相关人士指出，朝圣者群体老龄化以及年轻一代缺乏朝圣意识是导致朝圣人数下降的原因。

这延续了近年来参观人数的下降趋势。据新加坡土地管理局统计，2019年的参观人数约为3万人。在新冠疫情期间采取安全管理措施后，2020年参观人数降至约1.12万人，2021年降至约9400人，之后在2022年回升至约2万人。

2023年，大伯公庙庆祝百年华诞，当时游客人数达到22500人。之后，游客人数在2024年下降到约18500人，在2025年下降到约15500人。

在一年一度的朝圣活动中，信徒们会前往寺庙，攀登 152 级台阶到达圣坛，并在两个地方供奉香烛和祈祷。

相关人士指出，朝圣者人口老龄化和年轻一代缺乏意识是导致朝圣者人数下降的原因。

2026 年 9 月 27 日，库苏岛 keramat 的看护人 Ishak Samsudin 先生。（照片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

“老一辈的人都去世了。年轻人不太了解龟屿，他们以为那只是个野餐地点，”胡先生说。

库苏岛克拉马特的管理员伊沙克·萨姆苏丁 (Ishak Samsudin) 先生也表达了同样的观点。

“孩子们通常都跟着父母来。所以当他们的父母去世后，他们就不再来了，所以人群越来越少，”这位65岁的老人说道。

大伯公庙管理员薛成发表示，游客数量下降的部分原因是年轻一代缺乏相关知识。

2026 年 9 月 27 日，库苏岛大伯公寺的管理员施成发 (Seet Seng Huat) 先生。（照片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

“他们不了解朝圣的意义，老一辈也没能说服他们一起来或了解更多相关信息，”这位78岁的老人说道，他自1986年以来一直担任管理员。

“龟屿朝圣之旅其实意义非凡。它已经传承了许多代，甚至在我们出生之前就已经开始举行了。”

Seet 先生和 Ishak 先生表示，马来西亚游客的数量随着时间的推移大幅下降；Ishak 先生回忆说，他们曾经至少占所有朝圣者的一半。

新加坡岛屿游轮和渡轮服务公司经理李国利先生表示，该公司运营前往新加坡南部岛屿的渡轮，近年来马来西亚游客数量也有所减少。

他说：“新加坡元对马来西亚林吉特走强可能是其中一个原因，因为对马来西亚游客来说，去新加坡旅行的成本相对更高了。”

遗产观察人士也注意到了这种代际转变。达尔玛·佩尔萨达大学客座教授威廉·吉布森表示：“年轻人可能把这看作是一种老式的迷信，在他们的精神生活中并不那么重要，而是一种可有可无的文化活动，而不是日历上必不可少的事件。”

新加坡城市规划师协会的创始人何永民先生补充说，无障碍设施是另一个问题。该协会为学校和机构组织学习漫步和遗产体验活动。

“只能乘渡轮到达那里，不能过夜，而且克拉玛特位于 100 多级台阶之上——这对那些往往是最虔诚的老年信徒来说是一个真正的障碍，”他说。

2026年9月27日，一名工作人员在龟屿岛的克拉玛特（keramat）为一年一度的龟屿岛朝圣季做准备。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

摊位减少，捐款减少

游客数量的减少也导致朝圣地周围的生态系统有所萎缩，例如小贩摊位和纪念品商店。

胡先生说，往年大约有 12 个纪念品摊位出售钥匙扣、护身符和以龟为主题的商品，龟是龟岛的标志性动物——这与今年只有一个龟摊形成了鲜明的对比。

2026年9月27日，在龟屿岛一年一度的朝圣活动中摆摊超过40年的胡天来先生。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

这位 65 岁的老人平日里雇佣了大约 5 名全职员工，周末在他的家人帮助下，团队人数会增加到 10 人。

他回忆说，这种衰落大约始于 20 年前，当时摊位数量下降到大约 5 个。

“现在没人愿意做这行了。上次有两个老前辈，他们做了很久，但他们去世后，没人接手他们的生意，”他说。

胡先生表示，运输和布置桌椅等设备等隐性成本使得这项业务难以长期维持。一些新手已经吃过亏，到朝圣月结束时几乎收支平衡。

2026年9月27日，一名工人在龟屿岛为一年一度的龟屿岛朝圣季搭建临时纪念品摊位。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

他还表示，由于距离大陆较远，物资供应也需要精心计划。

“这跟大陆不一样，在大陆，如果我想要五包粿条，我可以直接向供应商下单。在这里，如果不够，你得打电话，然后在这里等三个小时。”

随着游客数量的下降，寺庙和克拉玛特的捐款也大幅减少。

伊沙克先生说，朝圣月通常会给龟屿岛带来一年中最多的游客，也会给克拉玛特带来最高的捐款。伊沙克先生20多年前从他父亲手中接过这个职位。

他说，这些年来捐款“大幅”下降。“实际上，当我们卖香的时候，我们可以从当天的销售额看出人流量，”他说。

他的父亲过去在寺庙雇佣了20名全职员工，负责白天的日常维护和信徒的祈祷引导。伊沙克先生接手后，为了控制成本，将员工人数削减到10人，并在过去两年里进一步减少到5人。

他说，每月费用，包括政府租金、保险和交通费，总计约2万新元。

2026年9月27日，工人们在龟屿岛的克拉玛特为一年一度的龟屿岛朝圣季做准备。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

薛先生表示，大伯公庙的捐款也出现了类似的下降。“捐款大幅减少，但我们正在尽力应对，”他说。

但他指出，由于渡轮服务更加频繁，人们一年中的其他日子也会来参观，因此寺庙现在对朝圣季的游客和捐款的依赖程度降低了。

“那些每天来祈祷的人也会捐献一些钱。以前，只有在龟屿朝圣期间才会有人来。现在，渡轮每天都有，几乎每小时一班，所以我们不必只依赖朝圣的人潮了，”谢先生说。

2026年9月27日，游客抵达龟屿岛。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

“一年一次的聚会”

对于胡先生来说，在朝圣季期间在龟屿岛摆摊并不是为了盈利，而是为了与老朋友相聚，并为朝圣者群体服务。

“我们在这里待一个月，就再也不回大陆了，”他说。“我们彼此都认识，包括寺庙和克拉玛特的人。所以每天晚上，我们都会聚在一起闲聊；就像建立了一种友谊。一年我们只见一次面。”

伊沙克先生表示，朝圣活动是一项独特的盛事，体现了新加坡多元种族和多元宗教的特色，吸引了来自不同宗教背景的游客来到岛上的两个朝圣地。

他说：“他们来这里或许不是为了祈祷，而是为了表达敬意。保护这份遗产非常重要，因为如果这种地方消失了，那就真的消失了，一切都将不复存在。”

75岁的岳先生（Victor Yue）每年都会前往龟屿岛，至今已有近二十年的时间。

自2006年以来，他一直负责协调祥岭音乐协会的行程安排，该协会每年都会在岛上举办传统的南音歌舞表演。岳先生说，通常情况下，演出团约有100人。其中一些人每年都忠实地前来，而其他人则是出于好奇而来的当地人和外国人。

他说：“大多数新加坡人去龟屿朝圣时，都会下山拜见大伯公，还会上山拜见拿督内内克，这也很特别，因为山上的人会用马来语和福建话混合着帮助你向拿督祈福。”

2026年9月27日，信徒们在龟屿岛的克拉玛特寺祈​​祷。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

他说，年轻的游客尤其觉得这种仪式很特别，他们经常会把整个过程记录下来。“所以对他们来说，这更像是一件有趣的事情，而不是一件非常严肃的宗教仪式。”岳先生说道。

对于 15 岁的 Dylan Sim 来说，这次朝圣之旅有着不同的意义。

这位中三学生曾两次前往越南：第一次是 10 岁时和他的外祖父母一起，第二次是去年和他的道教团体全真文化协会一起。

他说，去年的访问令人百感交集。

“我小时候，祖父母带我去过那里。我的祖父已经不在人世了，他在那次旅行一年后就去世了，”他说。“所以当我再次回到那里时，往事涌上心头，重走我们一起走过的路对我来说意义非凡。”

2026年9月27日，龟屿大伯公庙。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

他说，第一次去朝圣时，他对朝圣的意义知之甚少；他的祖父母在渡轮上向他解释了朝圣的意义。

迪伦认为他的大多数同龄人知道的甚至更少。

他说：“我意识到，在我这一代人中，很少有人会去了解这些传统，比如大伯公庙的故事，以及这座岛屿是如何被称为‘海龟岛’之类的。”

他还补充说，社交媒体上有关朝圣的内容往往吸引的是年龄较大的受众，而不是他自己的年龄段。

“我认为让更多年轻人或青少年参与进来，了解这座岛屿，并让人们去那里了解它的历史和过往故事，是非常重要的。在这座远离大陆的岛屿上，有这样一个特别的地方，这本身就很特别，”他说。

仅存的朝圣传统寥寥无几

城市规划师何先生表示，将龟屿朝圣之旅描述为新加坡为数不多的本土朝圣传统之一，即使这种说法有些轻描淡写，也算是公平的。

他说：“一个多世纪以来，华人信徒和马来信徒都乘船前往龟屿岛，他们经常会去参观与他们自身传统不同的圣地。”

“我们的大部分宗教活动都在城市里进行。龟屿岛则需要真正出海远航，前往一个不能随意进入的地方。正是这种与日常生活的隔绝，才使它成为一次意义非凡的朝圣之旅。”

Kusu在福建话中是“乌龟”的意思，传说一只巨龟化身为陆地，救起了两名遇难的水手，一名是中国人，一名是马来人。

何先生表示，如果参与人数继续下降，新加坡可能失去的不是岛屿本身的传奇，因为这些传奇故事仍然可以通过书籍或网络讲述。

“面临风险的是，这个传说作为一种被人们相信和实践的东西而得以延续，并由每年都选择参与其中的人们来维系。”

吉布森教授表示，这项朝圣活动可以追溯到19世纪40年代，它也将新加坡与更广泛的区域联系起来。马六甲附近和雅加达北部的一些地点也有类似的克拉玛特（keramat，一种印度教圣物）和大伯公庙的组合。

“我们会一直保留这类纪念活动。但如果活动本身不再发生，或者变得只是例行公事，或者只是为了吸引游客，那么它就会失去一些无形的东西。”

遗产观察人士表示，即使朝圣群体不断萎缩，也应该努力保护朝圣的意义并延续这一传统。

“我不认为信徒人数会恢复，而且我质疑以追求信徒人数为目标是否合理。信徒人数下降的背后是世俗化和信徒群体老龄化等结构性因素，而非情感因素。遗憾的是，我认为任何运动都无法扭转这种趋势。”何先生说道。

2026年9月27日，龟屿岛上正在搭建临时帐篷。（图片：中央社/伊利·曼索尔）

不过，他称帮助龟屿故事重获新生的努力，包括将其纳入今年的新加坡夜间艺术节，是“令人鼓舞的”。

吉布森教授表示，朝圣者人数的下降是“任何代表过去的文化机构都必须面对的问题”，因为这些机构需要在现代世界中寻求存在的意义。

“如果你把它过度开发成旅游景点，我认为它的意义就会被稀释，变成一种简单的姿态，我认为这也不是一个很好的解决方案。”

不过，何先生表示，该岛的休闲吸引力为延续龟屿的故事提供了机会，并指出一些年轻的新加坡人已经带着孩子到岛上游览泻湖和海龟保护区。

他说：“目前的不足之处在于，如何通过更好的现场讲解，将参观与旁边的历史联系起来，在年长的信徒还在世的时候记录口述历史，并让学校和文化遗产团体更有理由在朝圣季期间组织一次合适的参观活动。”

吉布森教授认为，除了政府的举措之外，保护朝圣活动可以是一项草根运动，由参与者自己来控制其方向。

“损失固然巨大，但归根结底，如果人们不再有兴趣将其作为日常生活的重要组成部分参与其中，那么你也不能强迫他们去做，”他说。

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