TRAVEL

When Pulau Duyung became part of the Monsoon Cup circuit, the island gained fame and made its mark on the world map, writes ALIAS MOHAMED

Tourists being ferried to the competition site in trishaws." border="0"> Tourists being ferried to the competition site in trishaws.

PULAU Duyung or Mermaid Island at the mouth of Sungai Terengganu is made up of a cluster of small islands – Pulau Duyung Besar, Pulau Duyung Kecil, Pulau Ketam, Pulau Kelab Aya and Pulau Duyung Sekolah.

In the past, when Pulau Duyung was only accessible by boat, so there were few visitors though some did make the trip just to have a look at the island’s famous traditional boatbuilding workshops and traditional handicraft industry.

Upon completion of the Sultan Mahmud Bridge in early 1990, Pulau Duyung started to bloom, attracting more and more visitors. Then, when the Monsoon Cup, the prestigious international sailing event, made its debut in Pulau Duyung, the island found a place on the world map.

The sailing event, dubbed as the World F1 Boat Race, has made the little island famous. It is now one of the stops on the competitive boat racing circuit.

The first Monsoon Cup was held in 2005, with 12 sailing boats taking part. Australian Peter Gilmour (now Datuk) won the inaugural six-day race.

Ironically, while most places in the country are battling flood waters, Pulau Duyung has benefited from the monsoon by holding an international event and attracting tourists from around the world.

The latest series of the Monsoon Cup competition was held in Pulau Duyung from Dec 2-6. This time, 12 teams, including Malaysia’s Taring Pelangi, took part.

Just like in the previous competitions, boat racing fans from all over the world camped in Pulau Duyung for the five-day event. Among locals who turned out for the occasion was a family from Johor, who came all the way to “see with our own eyes how the race is being conducted”.

“Ever since the Monsoon cup started a few years ago, we’d been waiting for an opportunity to see what this competition is all about,” said Abdul Raof Ahmad, 39, from Johor Baru.

Besides the race, other events held included traditional games such as top spinning and kite flying. A singing contest and meet-the-celebrities programmes were also held.

For tourists, Pulau Duyung has much to offer. It’s still a traditional village though there are a few modern brick houses. But life here is still steeped in tradition, with many villagers determined to preserve their heritage, especially that of boat-making.

“Pulau Duyung is synonymous with boat-making,” said a local Monsoon Cup fan who preferred to remain anonymous.

He said the industry started in the middle 1800s, when huge vessels were needed to transport salt and other commodities like brassware, rattan and spices, to Thailand, Cambodia and China.

“However, because of problems in getting the raw materials, there are only a few boat builders left,” he said.

One place of interest is Kota Lama or the Pulau Duyung Fort. According to the locals, this was the place from where Islam spread in Terengganu. It was built in 1920 by Islamic scholar Datuk Biji Sura Nik Mohamad Hitam, also popularly known as Tuk Syeikh Duyong.

The fort is made of bricks and wood carvings done by locals and experts from Singapore. Among its special features are the roof, the connecting room, the hallway and the bridge linking the various rooms.

How To Get There

Pulau Duyung is located at the mouth of Sungai Terengganu. It’s a five-minute boat-ride from the jetty in Kuala Terengganu. Going by road is easy, via the Sultan Mahmud Bridge that links the island to the city centre.