Singapore’s Kusu Island used to bustle with activity whenever pilgrimage season came around. The number of visitors, however, has dwindled in recent years.
For Hoo Tiang Lai, who has been serving up char kway teow there for over four decades, returning to Kusu Island has become a tradition he looks forward to every year.
The 65-year-old, also known as Uncle Lai, is among the three remaining hawkers during this year’s pilgrimage season — a stark contrast to the previous years.
“Last time there were 20 stalls, with many different owners. It was competitive and we had to tender for the stalls,” he told CNA.
According to Singapore Land Authority, the number of visitors to Kusu Island during the pilgrimage season fell from 30,000 in 2019 to 15,500 last year.
This downward trend is something the hawker had observed for a while now.
“Fewer people are coming every year,” said Uncle Lai in an interview with Our Grandfather Story in 2022.
Recalling the island’s heyday, the hawker shared that Kusu Island used to have many people who visited the Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Gong) Temple and three Malay shrines there. The visitors were mainly the elderly and Malaysians, he added.
Nowadays, the younger generation only visited for picnics. “They don’t know the culture and history of Kusu Island,” he said.
But low footfall isn’t the only problem the hawkers are facing.
Uncle Lai pointed out that the younger generation may not be willing to take over the stalls. This was especially so given the challenges of running a hawker stall on the island.
According to him, supplies that would normally take minutes to deliver on the mainland can take several hours to reach Kusu Island. They would also need to be carried to the stalls after arriving at the harbour.
Despite these challenges and the exit of other hawkers, Uncle Lai plans to continue running his stall for as long as he is able.
“Not coming every year makes me feel uneasy,” he said.
This year, Uncle Lai is back in business — with netizens sharing photos of his char kway teow and fried oysters online.
“A legendary char kway teow that only opens once a year on Kusu Island!” a netizen wrote in a Facebook post on Monday (Oct 12).
“Even though he only opens one month a year, his wok hey and old-school standard never dropped over the years!”
The Kusu pilgrimage season takes place from Oct 10 to Nov 8 this year.
[[nid:598316]]
carol.ong@asiaone.com
Top In Asia
