I promised an update to the German Girl Shrine at Pulau Ubin back in 2015 and i can't imagine it took me more than 4 years to do so! Oh well, the western side of the island isn't as popular and most people i went to Ubin with didn't have the stamina to cover so much in one trip.
Except for the group i was with last Saturday! One of them, making her first virgin trip to Pulau Ubin despite being Singaporean all her life, is utterly interested about this German Girl Shrine and i thought it's a good opportunity to bring her there!
Furthermore, i could also take the opportunity to update the "new" building that was completed at the tail end of 2015. Back when i blogged about the shrine 4 years ago, it was still housed under a temporary tentage.
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I thought this was the signboard with the words "Berlin Heligtum" / 柏林苑 was new; watched a video regarding the shrine before it was rebuilt and it appeared that the signboard was already in existent then!
Classic - a stone incense stick holder.
Stepping in for a closer look; the "new" place didn't look big from the outside and was indeed rather small. If this is your typical shrine honouring deities found elsewhere, i can guarantee you it wouldn't attract any non-devotee.
The stones on the side of the main altar that were honored with offerings and incense sticks; as mentioned in my original post here, this reminded me of the stone that gave 4D numbers at Loyang Tua Pek Kong temple!
By the way, i have yet to explain how this German Girl Shrine came to be named as such. In a nutshell, back in the first world war, a German girl living on the island fell while escaping from the British and villagers started praying to her remains, with some winning lottery; hence, contributing to her popularity on the island.
As she died at a supposedly young age, devotees assumed she would like things more befitting her age; hence the offerings that consisted of perfumed water and face powder popular a few decades ago, toys, sweets, nail polish, cosmetics and shoes.
Main statue of the resident deity; this is definitely new as the one i saw previously was a typical barbie doll you can easily buy and replace from toy store!
My friends were intrigued with the blending of religions at the German Girl Shrine; a Taoist practice yet imbued with traces of Catholicism coming from the angels and rosary beads! There's even a small Christmas tree on the side!
For someone who had been accustomed to following both Buddhism and Taoism since young, i wasn't that surprised with such blend. There's actually a term for this interesting blend and i got to know this from this friend who came with us and whom had a master in history; syncretic religion!
Now, can someone enlighten me?
What do the words on the stone mean?
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Location
Ketam Mountain Bike Park,
Pulau Ubin, Singapore
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Click here for my first post on the shrine!