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Mazu

Mazu, Chinese Goddess of the Sea, also known in different regions as Matsu, Ma-Tsu, A-ma, Tianhou, and other names, with numerous titles that include "Motherly Matriarch", "Kuan Yin of the Southern Sea", "Daughter of the Dragon", and "Empress of Heaven". Legend has it that Lin Moniang, a Meizhou islander born in 960, devoted her life rescuing shipwreck victims. Moved by her philanthropic service, her fellow islanders deified her as Angel of the Sea and Holy Mother. In 987 the Temple of Goddess Mazu was built in her memory which sits on Meizhou Island in Putian. After a millennium, there are already over 1,500 active temples and 100 million devotees to worship the great Godness, to learn to be always mindful of the need for the reconciliation of the opposites in our lives, to know the need for both the masculine and the feminine, kindness and ferocity, the balance of nature and civilization, and above all, the unity of mind, body, and spirit.

The Mazu Temple on Meizhou Island

The Mazu Temple on Meizhou Island enjoys an honorific title of "Meizhou Ancestral Temple of Queen of Heaven Temple". It was firstly built in 987 AD, the same year of Lin Moniang`s departure. With over a thousand years of development, the belief in Mazu has gradually spread from Meizhou to all over the world. At present，there are altogether nearly 5000 Mazu temples throughout the world, with approximately 200 million believers. Taiwan is a concentrated area of Mazu followers, and there are over 800 Mazu ancestral temples of various sizes on Taiwan Island with over 14 million followers. On Meizhou Island every year on the 23rd day of the third month and the ninth day of the ninth month respectively for the birthday of Mazu and for the day when Mazu was raised to the skies, there is a grand occasion of pilgrimage tour, hence the name of "Oriental Mecca".

Mazu Festival

There are many Mazu believers in the world, Meizhou, Fujian province, the cradle and hometown of Mazu, has become a "Mecca" for many overseas Chinese and Taiwanese. More than 100,000 Taiwan pilgrims go to Meizhou to pay their homage to Mazu every year. To better carry forward Mazu culture, promote communication between people in Taiwan and mainland China, a cultural festival consecrated to the Goddess Mazu was first held at Meizhou Island in 1987 with the assistance of the Putian Gorvernment and other related units. Later on, Mazu festival holds on April 25th and Oct 4th each year.