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20-563: During the lunar ninth month of every year, the Kusu Island pilgrimage attracts thousands of devotees who visit and worship at the Tua Pek Kong Temple . Besides the Chinese temple, the island is also home to three Malay shrines (Keramat). From two outcrops on a reef , the island was enlarged and transformed into an island of 85,000 square metres (914,932 sq ft). The legend behind

40-402: A number of the earliest known Taoist talismans were "simple and legible", later examples had become deliberately cryptic in order to signal their divinity. Other scholars of Taoism such as James Robson and Gil Raz have claimed that the incomprehensibility of written forms is central to the talisman's perceived authority and efficacy, and is one of talismanic script's defining features. During

60-406: A sign that they were of divine authority and held supernatural provenance. Fulu tend to have irregular strokes that resemble Chinese characters , often elongating existing words while incorporating non-character symbols. Taoist priests are the main interpreters of this eclectic writing system, and the characters can differ from sect to sect.  The method of writing down these characters

80-497: A small number of qualified clergy to adequately produce them. Some fulu appear to have been created from a composition of two Chinese characters, by stacking one atop of the other.  This technique of synthesis was not unique to Taoists: fulu also appear on other kinds of Chinese charms, such as Buddhist coin charms and woodblock prints . Fulu style varies from sect to sect, with each having different incantations and different mudras used in their creation. Even

100-486: A wealthy businessman, the temple houses two main Chinese Deities , Da Bo Gong and Guān Yīn ("观音", or Goddess of Mercy). The former is highly regarded as having the power to confer prosperity, cure diseases, calm the sea and avert danger, while Guan Yin is known as the "Bestower of Sons". It is popular for its lagoons , pristine beaches and general tranquil settings. Visits are often made by occasional ferry trips from

120-408: Is dedicated to the worship of deity Tua Pek Kong . Tua Pek Kong Temple is located on Kusu Island , and got its name from Tua Pek Kong . In 2023, the temple celebrated its 100 years anniversary. There are many legends surrounding the island and they mainly revolve around a giant tortoise as well as the friendship between two men, one Malay and the other Chinese . Tua Pek Kong or Da Bo Gong

140-399: Is generally passed down in secret from a Taoist priest to their disciples and treated as a special craft with which to communicate to local deities and spirits. According to Fudan University professor Ge Zhaoguang, the unreadability of Taoist talismanic is a type of 'linguistic archaism' deliberately designed to be incomprehensible, as "a veil of unfathomable otherwordliness" that allows only

160-554: Is not confined to Taoism: they have been incorporated into several forms of Chinese Buddhism , and have inspired the ofuda used in Japanese Buddhism and Shinto and the bujeok used in Korean shamanism . 符 ; fú are instructions for deities and spirits, symbols for exorcism , and recipes for potions or charms used to treat ailments. A 籙 ; lù is a registry for the memberships of priests, which additionally lists

180-501: Is the main deity alongside Guanyin (观音)to be worshipped at the temple. Tua Pek Kong is also known as Fude Zhengshen (福德正神). Tua Pek Kong is seen as the God of Prosperity, Merchant God and a patron deity of seafarers. The signboard at the entrance of the temple states that Tua Pek Kong has the powers to confer prosperity, cure diseases, calm the sea and advert danger whereas Guanyin is known as "Giver of Sons". Other deities being worshipped in

200-446: Is thought to be sacred due to its linkages to the origination myth of Kusu Island. During the pilgrimage, offerings such as fruits, joss papers and Chinese prosperity cakes (發糕) are brought by pilgrims to give thanks to the deities and pray for blessings. Pilgrims would also replace fulu talismans and fraying amulets from the previous year with new ones. As part of the annual pilgrimage, devotees also climb 152 steps to pay respects to

220-603: The Huangdi Yinfujing , though without adequate instructions for the writing thereof. The second chapter of each of the three grottoes in the Daozang is a record of the history and feats of the ' fulu sect', where fulu are said to originate with the condensation of clouds in the sky. Fulu was also incorporated into coin talismans, of which many resemble cash . Many of these talismans have not yet been deciphered. One specimen has been described where talismanic script

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240-492: The Eastern Jin dynasty (317–420), it was already considered unnecessary for users of Taoist talismans to be able to decipher the writing on them in order for them to be considered efficacious. Ge Hong noted in his Baopuzi that as long as the inscription was authentic, successful use of the talisman did not depend on whether the user was able to decipher its script. By this time, the talisman's illegibility had already become

260-518: The invocations used for a single deity will vary between sects. Talismans have been used for centuries in China as a healing method alongside medicines, meditation, acupuncture , astrology, and massage. Known as 祝由 ; zhuyou in medical writings, the use of talismans enjoyed official support between the Sui and the late Ming dynasties, though seeing decline when rival acupuncture practices were recognised by

280-474: The 152 steps leading up to the keramats to pray for wealth, good marriage, good health and harmony. The shrines were also popular with childless couples who would pray for children. On April 17, 2022, the keramats were badly damaged in a fire. Also located on Kusu island is the popular Chinese temple dedicated to both Dà Bó Gōng (大伯公), or Tua Pek Kong (Grand Uncle), also known as Fú Dé Zhèng Shén (福德正神) and Ná Dū Gōng (Dato Keramat or "拿督公"). Built in 1923 by

300-722: The 3 Datuk Keramat on top of a hill. The 3 shrines are dedicated to Syed Abdul Rahman, Nenek Ghalib and Puteri Faimah. In 2024, the Kusu Island pilgrimage season would fall between 3 October 2024 to 31 October 2024. Fulu Fulu ( traditional Chinese : 符籙 ; simplified Chinese : 符箓 ; pinyin : fúlù ) are Taoist magic symbols and incantations, translatable into English as 'talismanic script', which are written or painted on talismans by Taoist practitioners. These practitioners are called 符籙派 ; fúlù pài ; 'the fulu sect', an informal group made up of priests from different schools of Taoism. Like most aspects of Taoist practice, use of these objects

320-404: The imperial court as a medicinal discipline in the 6th century. While rejected by traditional Chinese medicine , zhuyou continues to be widely used amongst Chinese folk healers today. With the growing influence of Western psychology in the 20th century, zhuyou began to be interpreted as a Chinese counterpart of Western hypnosis. One of the earliest references to fulu is found in

340-426: The island says that a magical tortoise turned itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors, one a Malay and the other a Chinese. At the top of the rugged hillock on Kusu Island stood three keramats (or sacred shrines of Malay holy figures) to commemorate a pious man (Syed Abdul Rahman), his mother (Nenek Ghalib) and his sister (Puteri Fatimah), all of whom once lived in the 19th century. Many devotees climbed

360-677: The nearby Marina South Pier (formerly from Clifford Pier ) to see the famous wishing well and the Tortoise Sanctuary. A stand-alone open-air hawker centre is located in the middle of the island but it is only open and running during certain periods of the year, such as during festivals or pilgrimages to the keramats or the temple. No overnight stays are permitted on the island. Tua Pek Kong Temple Tua Pek Kong Temple (Traditional Chinese 龜嶼福山宮大伯公廟; Simplified Chinese 龟屿福山宫大伯公庙) Chinese temple in Singapore , located on Kusu Island . It

380-406: The skills they are trained in. Scholarly research into the history of Taoist symbolism has always been a particular challenge, because historically, Taoist priests have often used abstruse, obscure imagery writing to express their thoughts, meaning that a path to their successful decipherment and interpretation isn't always readily found in primary sources . According to scholar Yang Zhaohua, while

400-550: The temple include Eight Immortals (八仙), Guan Yu (关羽) and the Tiger god (虎爷). The temple also houses a fertility tree (求子树), where well wishes are hung upon it. The temple also houses turtle statues and a turtle pond. Every year during the Chinese Lunar 9th month, thousands of devotees from Singapore and neighbouring countries like Malaysia , Indonesia and Thailand will make their pilgrimage to Kusu Island. The 9th lunar month

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