20-25 May: Learn more about the Tua Pek Kong Festival with the Singapore Heritage Society

On the fourth month of the Lunar calendar, when the moon is full, Pulau Ubin bursts with celebrations!

Wayang at Pulau Ubin
The Ubin Wayang Stage comes alive during Tua Pek Kong's birthday.

For six days and six nights, the birthday of Tua Pek Kong is honoured with colourful festivities. Ubin Jetty is decked out in colourful flags and lanterns, and Ubin Town is host to lavish rituals. The ancient Wayang Stage at Ubin Town comes alive with traditional opera in glittering costumes as well as more modern vibrant celebrations. Pilgrims and worshippers make their way to Ubin to celebrate.

Specially for Pesta Ubin, the Singapore Heritage Society provides a wonderful booklet to help visitors understand the Tua Pek Kong Festival better!
A sneak peek at the booklet from the SHS facebook page.

You can view and download the colour version of the booklet here.


Travel advisory!

The Tua Pek Kong Festival, as usual, coincides with Vesak Day. This year, Vesak Day falls on 21 May (Sat), which makes it a long weekend. Many pilgrims for the Tua Pek Kong festival plus the long weekend crowd is expected to result in more visitors to Ubin. So be prepared for travel delays: longer queues for the bumboats. And a parking crunch at Changi Village. Especially 8am onwards for travel from Changi to Ubin; and noon onwards for travel from Ubin to Changi, with peak congestion near sunset.

Dates: 20-25 May
Website: http://www.facebook.com/sgheritage/

No charge, the activity is free!
No registration required. Simply come to Pulau Ubin and experience the celebrations!

Latest update (14 May) thanks to Chua Ai Lin of the Singapore Heritage Society

Thanks to PF KerVin here is a programme of the Tua Pek Kong temple festival. Here is a rough translation to English text. In case of doubt, please refer to Chinese text in photo. smile emoticon

Fri 20May16 4M14
10am: Invite Tua Pek Kong
11am: Beginning Ritual sts
3.30pm: Taoist Ritual Part 1
7pm: Taoist Ritual Part 2
7pm: Sin Yong Yong Hwa Teochew Opera performnce
10pm: Invite Jade Emperor

Sat 21May16 4M15
10am: Taoist Ritual
1pm Lion & Dragon Dance
2.30pm: Distribution of Blessed Offering
3.30pm: Sending off Jade Emperor
7pm: Sin Sin Yong Hwa Teochew Opera
7.30pm: Crossing the PingAn Bridge
8pm: Wei Tio Temple's Tua Ji Ya Pek visit

Sun 22May16 4M16
7pm: Sin Sin Yong Hwa Teochew Opera

Mon 23May16 4M17
7pm: Sin Sin Yong Hwa Teochew Opera

Tue 24May16 4M18
7pm: Sin Sin Yong Hwa Teochew Opera

Wed 25May16 4M19
10am: Sin Sin Yong Hwa Teochew Opera Qing Chang (Singing only)
6.45pm: Getai
10.30pm: Sending Tua Pek Kong back

From Chua Ai Lin on facebook.

What happened ...

Photos from the Ubin Tua Pek Kong Festival from the Ubin Wei Tuo Temple facebook page.
From this album.

Awesome photos and stories of the entire festival thanks to Jerome Lim.
From Jerome Lim on facebook.

Wayang happens in the daytime during the festival, while island life goes on as usual.

Wayang (Chinese Opera) at Tua Pek Kong festival, Pulau Ubin

Evening wayang at Pulau Ubin is magical!

Evening Wayang (Chinese Opera) at Tua Pek Kong festival, Pulau Ubin

More glimpses of the festival...

Tua Pek Kong festival during Pesta Ubin 2016
Watching wayang with dad.


Tua Pek Kong festival during Pesta Ubin 2016
Lion dance AND dragon dance!


Tua Pek Kong festival during Pesta Ubin 2016
Lavish rituals.


Wayang at Tua Pek Kong festival during Pesta Ubin 2016
Evening wayang is glorious!


Ubin Jetty at Tua Pek Kong festival during Pesta Ubin 2016
Ubin jetty is magical during the festival!

2 comments:

  1. Any schedule of the temple bumboat available? Any boat after 1030pm?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand the first boat goes out at 6.30pm (Changi to Ubin) and last boat leaves Ubin around 10pm.

      If you want to leave later, I suppose you can charter a boat?

      Delete