We didn’t waste a second and as soon as we checked in headed towards the village under the cover of darkness. The regal Fuhai Palace rose into sight to greet us as we approached.

Lavishly decorated and in the unmistakable style of southern Fujian, the complex is a shrine dedicated to the sea goddess Matsu and Grand Emperor Baosheng, a revered doctor of the 11th century who was canonized by Taoists. Matsu is also a Taoist figure and is primarily worshipped by sailors, merchants and fishermen in the coastal areas.

These two icons have been of great importance to this seagoing community, whose men folk have had to undergo long, treacherous voyages fraught with disease and malnourishment.

Within a stone’s throw of the temple is the Zeng family’s ancestral hall which functions as a “temple cafe” on unconsecrated days. Humbled by the serenity of our surroundings and sense of history, we sat down under the star-filled sky and planned our next day’s adventure.

Spiritual Sanctuary

Being so close to Gulangyu, we made the journey over to the islet. Compared to Zengcuo’an, it is overwhelmingly commercialized and overdeveloped. I left with a greater appreciation of the pristine beauty of Zengcuo’an.

On our return, the village seemed lost in a fissure of time and space, untouched by the tides of history. It is a world away from the city life bustling so close to it. Though modernity has crept into almost every corner of the planet, idyllic scenes still dominate here.

The first settlement in what later evolved into today’s Xiamen, Zengcuo’an was once the center of island life, evident in its diverse confluence of faiths. For over 1,000 years villagers have worshiped the sea goddess Matsu. They seek her protection for their daily fishing activities.

A Christian church is also nearby, where a pastor from Taiwan gives mass in the local dialect to an assembly of believers young and old. In the vicinity of the village are a Buddhist temple and Muslim tombs whose origins have been lost in time. It is remarkable that such a small community so successfully and respectfully tends to such diverse religious needs.

Artistic Colony

Now under a Xiamen commuter town where rents are much lower than those in the urban center, Zengcuo’an has seen an influx of migrants including both laborers and recent college graduates. With a pokey studio apartment, a small pub or a home shared with other like-minded tenants, they have made the village the first stop in their long and rough journey to achieve their dreams in the city.