Eid Holiday, Thousands Of Residents Crowded Pulau Penyengat Tanjungpinang

Residents' activities at the Gate of Penyengat Island, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, Wednesday (Nikolas Panama)

TANJUNGPINANG - Thousands of residents of Tanjungpinang City, Riau Archipelago, enjoyed the Eid 1443 Hijri holiday on Penyengat, a historic island relic of the Riau-Lingga-Pahang Kingdom.

The family of the Sultan of Riau-Lingga-Pahang, Tengku Fuad, said that the number of visitors to Penyengat Island since the first day of Lebaran has continued to increase until now.

"The first day of Lebaran was around a thousand people, while on the second day there were 5,000 people. Today it seems there are more than 7,000 people," he said, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, May 4.

Fuad said that on average, residents enjoy the atmosphere in the courtyard of the Sultan Riau Grand Mosque while enjoying local food. They also took the time to pray at the mosque.

Some residents visited the homes of relatives and friends on Penyengat Island.

"Alhamdulillah, this year's Eid is more crowded than the previous two years," said the imam of the Sultan Riau Grand Mosque.

One of the visitors, Ayu, admitted that since the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only now that she was able to visit Penyengat Island.

"We just prayed and walked on Penyengat Island," he said.

Risna, another visitor, hopes that Penyengat Island, which is an international tourist attraction, is better maintained.

"If it can be made a grand event that is interesting during Eid. This will be a magnet so that more visitors will come to Penyengat Island," he said.

Penyengat Island only takes about 15 minutes from Yellow Harbor, Tanjungpinang City. Dozens of pompong boats from morning to night transport passengers from Yellow Harbor to Penyengat Island, with ticket prices of IDR 7,000/person.