Mazu or Matsu is a
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
sea goddess
A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Ano ...
also known by
several other names and titles. She is the
deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a
Fujianese shamaness
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiri ...
whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Revered after her death as a
tutelary deity
A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety and ...
of
seafarer
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
s, including
fishermen
A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish.
Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreat ...
and
sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
s, her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and
overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese.
Terminology
() or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, refe ...
communities throughout
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
and overseas, where some Mazuist temples are affiliated with famous Taiwanese temples. She was thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through
miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and a benevolent Queen of Heaven. Mazu worship is popular in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
as large numbers of early immigrants to Taiwan were
Hoklo people
The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such a ...
; her
temple festival is a major event in the country, with the largest celebrations around her temples at
Dajia and
Beigang
Beigang, Hokkō or Peikang is an Township (Taiwan), urban township in Yunlin County, Taiwan. It is primarily known for its Chaotian Temple, one of the most prominent temples of Mazu, Temples of Lin Moniang, Mazu on Taiwan. It has a population of ...
.
Names and titles
![Mazu temple in Melbourne - Australia 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Mazu_temple_in_Melbourne_-_Australia_2010.jpg)
In addition to Mazu
[.][.] or Ma-tsu, meaning "Maternal Ancestor"
[.] "Mother",
[.] "Granny", or "Grandmother", Lin Moniang is worshipped under various other names and titles:
* Mazupo ("Granny Mazu"),
[ a popular name in Fujian][
* A-Ma, also spelled Ah-Ma ("Mother" or "Grandmother"), a popular name in Macau
* Linghui Furen][ ("Lady of Numinous Grace"), an official title conferred in 1156.][.]
* Linghui Fei[ ("Princess of Numinous Grace"), an official title conferred in 1192.][
* Tianfei ("Princess of Heaven"),][ fully Huguo Mingzhu Tianfei][ ("Illuminating Princess of Heaven who Protects the Nation"), an official title conferred in 1281.][
* Huguo Bimin Miaoling Zhaoying Hongren Puji Tianfei ("Heavenly Princess who Protects the Nation and Shelters the People, of Marvelous Numen, Brilliant Resonance, Magnanimous Kindness, and Universal Salvation"), an official title conferred in 1409.][
* Tianhou (天后, literally meaning: "Queen/Empress of Heaven"),][ an official title conferred in 1683.][
* Tianshang Shengmu ("Holy Heavenly Mother"; title used mostly in Taiwan)][.] or Tianhou Shengmu (title used mostly in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam)
* Tongxian Lingnü ("Worthy & Efficacious Lady")
* Shennü ("Divine Woman")[.]
* Zhaoxiao Chunzheng Fuji Ganying Shengfei[ ("Holy Princess of Clear Piety, Pure Faith, and Helpful Response"), an official title conferred during the reign of the ]Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (), courtesy name Guorui (), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398.
As famine, plagues and peasant revolts in ...
of the Ming.[
Although many of Mazu's temples honor her titles Tianhou and Tianfei, it became customary to never pray to her under those names during an emergency since it was believed that, hearing one of her formal titles, Mazu might feel obligated to groom and dress herself as properly befitting her station before receiving the petition. Prayers invoking her as Mazu were thought to be answered more quickly.][
]
History
Alleged tomb of Lin Moniang in Nangan in the ">Matsu Islands
Very little is known of the historical Lin Moniang.[ She was apparently a ]shamaness
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiri ...
from a small fishing village on Meizhou Island
Meizhou Island (; Pu-Xian Min: ''Mî-ciu-doh''), Meichow; Meichou, is a small island close to the coast of China. Meizhou Town () is an administrative unit of Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, China. It is known for being the birthplace of the go ...
, part of Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
's Putian County
Putian or Putien (, Putian dialect: ''Pó-chéng''), also known as Puyang (莆阳) and Puxian (莆仙), historically known as Xinghua or Hing Hwa (), is a prefecture-level city in eastern Fujian province, China. It borders Fuzhou City to the nor ...
,[ in the late 10th century.][ She probably did not live there, however, but on the nearby mainland. During this era, Fujian was greatly ]sinicized
Sinicization, sinofication, sinification, or sinonization (from the prefix , 'Chinese, relating to China') is the process by which non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture, particularly the language, societal norms, cul ...
by influxes of refugees fleeing invasions of northern China and Mazu's cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
, a form that may represent a hybridization of Chinese and local culture. The earliest record of her cult is from two centuries later, an 1150 inscription that mentions "she could foretell a man's good and ill luck" and, "after her death, the people erected a temple for her on her home island".[
]
Legend
The legends
A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief.
Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to:
Narrative
* Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth
* A fictitious identity used in espionage
Books, co ...
around Lin Moniang's life were broadly established by the 12th century.[
She was said to have been born under the reign of the ]Quanzhou
Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
nese warlord Liu Congxiao Liu Congxiao (; 906-962), formally the Prince of Jinjiang (), was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Min. After Min's fall, he initially submitted to Southern Tang (which had conquered Min), but eventually, taking ...
(.962), in the Min Kingdom
Min () was one of the Ten Kingdoms which was in existence between the years of 909 and 945. It existed in a mountainous region of modern-day Fujian province of China and had a history of quasi-independent rule. Its capital was Fuzhou. It was fou ...
,[ which eventually developed into the specific date of the 23rd day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar in AD960, the first year of the ]Song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
. The late Ming '' Great Collection of the Three Teachings' Origin and Development and Research into the Divine'' (, ''Sānjiào Yuánliú Sōushén Dàquán''), however, placed her birth much earlier, in 742.[.]
The early sources speak of her as "Miss Lin"; her given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
Mo ("Silent One")[ or Moniang ("the Silent Girl") appeared later. It was said to have been chosen when she did not cry during birth][ or during the first month afterwards; she remained a quiet and pensive child as late as four.][.] She was said to have been the sixth[ or seventh daughter of Lin Yuan (). He is now usually remembered as one of the local fishermen,][ although the 1593 edition of the '' Records of Research into the Divine'' made him Putian's chief military inspector.][ The family was helpful and popular within their village.][ Late legends intended to justify Mazu's presence in Buddhist temples held that her parents had prayed to ]Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
for a son but received yet another daughter.[ In one version, her mother dreamt of Guanyin giving her a magical pill to induce pregnancy and woke to find the pill still in her hand;][ rather than being born in the conventional way, Mazu shot from her mother at birth in the form of a fragrant flash of red light.][ Guanyin was said to have been especially devoted to Mazu or even to have been incarnated as Mazu; for her part, Mazu was said to have been entranced by a statue of Guanyin at a temple she visited as a child, after which she became an ardent Buddhist.][
She is now often said to have studied religious literature,][.] mastering Confucius
Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
by 8 and the principal Buddhist sutras by 11. The '' Account of the Blessings Revealed by the Princess of Heaven'' , ''Tiānfēi Xiǎnshèng Lù'') collected by her supposed descendants Lin Yaoyu
Lin or LIN may refer to:
People
*Lin (surname) (normally ), a Chinese surname
*Lin (surname) (normally 蔺), a Chinese surname
* Lin (''The King of Fighters''), Chinese assassin character
*Lin Chow Bang, character in Fat Pizza
Places
*Lin, Iran, ...
, , ''Lín Yáoyú''; ) and Lin Linchang , ''Lín Línchàng''; ) claimed that, while still a girl, she was visited by a Taoist master (elsewhere a Buddhist monk)[ named Xuantong , ''Xuántōng'') who recognized her ]Buddha nature
Buddha-nature refers to several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, including '' tathata'' ("suchness") but most notably ''tathāgatagarbha'' and ''buddhadhātu''. ''Tathāgatagarbha'' means "the womb" or "embryo" (''garbha'') of the "thus-gone ...
. By 13, she had mastered the book of lore he had left her , ''Xuánwēi Bìfǎ'')[ and gained the abilities to see the future and visit places in spirit without travel.][ She was able to manifest herself at a distance as well and used this power to visit gardens in the surrounding countryside, although she asked owners' permission before gathering any flowers to take home.][ Although she only started swimming at the relatively late age of 15, she soon excelled at it. She was said to have stood on the shore in red garments to guide fishing boats home, regardless of harsh or dangerous weather. She met a ]Taoist immortal
''Xian'' () refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of ''xian'' has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural ...
at a fountain[ at sixteen and received an amulet][ or two bronze tablets which she translated][ or used to exorcize ]demons
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
, to heal the sick, and to avert disasters.[ She was also said to be a rainmaker during times of drought.][
Mazu's principal legend concerns her saving one or some members of her family when they were caught offshore during a ]typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
, usually when she was 16.[ It appears in several forms. In one, the women at home feared Lin Yuan and his son were lost but Mazu fell into a ]trance
Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
while weaving at her loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...
. Her spiritual power began to save the men from drowning but her mother roused her, causing her to drop her brother into the sea. The father returned and told the other villagers of the miracle; this version of the story is preserved in murals at Fengtin in Fujian. One variant is that her brothers were saved but her father was lost;[ she then spent three days and nights searching for his body before finding it.][ Another version is that all the men returned safely.][ Another is that Mazu was praying to Guanyin; another that she was sleeping and assisting her family through her dream. Still another is that the boats were crewed by her four brothers and that she saved three of them, securing their boats together, with the eldest lost owing to the interference of her parents, who mistook her trance for a ]seizure
An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with los ...
and woke her.[
In earlier records, Mazu died unmarried at 27 or 28.][ (Her celibacy was sometimes ascribed to a vow she took after losing her brother at sea.)][ The date of her passing eventually became the specific date of the ]Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival (''Chong Yang Festival'' or ''Chung Yeung Festival'' in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan; ; ''Jungyangjeol'' (Hangul: , Hanja: ), observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar, is a ...
in 987,[.] making her 27 by western reckoning and 28 by traditional Chinese dating. She was said to have died in meditation,[ though in some accounts she did not die but climbed a mountain alone and ascended into ]Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
as a goddess[ in a beam of bright light.][ In others, she died protesting an unwanted betrothal.][ Still another places her death at age 16, saying she drowned after exhausting herself in a failed attempt to find her lost father,][ underlining her ]filial piety
In Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Daoist ethics, filial piety (, ''xiào'') (Latin: pietas) is a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors. The Confucian ''Classic of Filial Piety'', thought to be written around the late W ...
.[ Her corpse then washed ashore on Nangan Island, which preserves a gravesite said to be hers.
]
Myths
In addition to the legends surrounding her earthly life, Mazu figures in a number of Chinese myth
Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions.
Much of t ...
s.
In one, the demons
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
Qianliyan
Qianliyan is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Shunfeng'er as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu.
Name
The name "Qianliyan" literally means "He of the Thousand-Mile" or "League Eyes" but may be taken more genera ...
("Thousand-Mile Eye") and Shunfeng'er
Shunfeng'er is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu.
Name
The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound ...
("Wind-Following Ear") both fell in love with her and she conceded that she would marry the one who defeated her in combat. Using her martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
skills, however, she subdued them both and, after becoming friends, hired them as her guardian generals.
In a book of the Taoist Canon
Daozang (), meaning 'Taoist Canon', consists of around 1,400 texts that were collected (after the ''Daodejing'' and ''Zhuangzi'' and Liezi which are the core Taoist texts). They were collected by Taoist monks of the period in an attempt to brin ...
, , ''Tàishàng Lǎojūn Shuō Tiānfēi Jiùkǔ Língyàn Jīng''), the Jade Woman of Marvelous Deeds ) is a star from the Big Dipper
The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...
brought to earth by Laojun
Daode Tianzun (), also known as Taishang Laojun () is a high Taoist god. He is the Taiqing (太清, lit. the Grand Pure One) which is one of the Three Pure Ones, the highest divinities of Taoism.
Laozi is regarded to be a manifestation of Daode ...
, the divine form of Laozi
Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state
...
, to show his compassion for those who might be lost at sea. She is incarnated as Mazu and swears not only to protect sailors but to oversee all facets of life and death, providing help to anyone who might call upon her.[
]
Legacy
Worship
Mazuism is first attested in Huang Gongdu's poem "On the Shrine of the Smooth Crossing"[.] , , ''Shùnjì Miào''), which considered her a menial and misguided shamaness whose continued influence was inexplicable.[ He notes that her devotees danced and sang together and with their children.][.] Shortly afterwards, Liao Pengfei ()'s 1150 inscription at the village of Ninghai (now Qiaodou Village) in Putian was more respectful.[ It states that, "after her death, the people erected a temple for her on her home island"][ and that the Temple of the Sacred Mound , , ''Shèngdūn Miào'') was raised in 1086 after some people in Ninghai saw it glowing, discovered a miraculous old raft][ or stump,][.] and experienced a vision of "the goddess of Meizhou".[ This structure had been renamed the Smooth Crossing Temple by ]Emperor Huizong of Song
Emperor Huizong of Song (7 June 1082 – 4 June 1135), personal name Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China. He was also a very well-known calligrapher. Born as the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong, he ascended the ...
in 1123 after his envoy Lu Yundi
Lu, Lü, or LU may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Lu (music), Tibetan folk music
* Lu (duo), a Mexican band
** ''Lu'' (album)
* Character from Mike, Lu & Og
* Lupe Fiasco or Lu (born 1982), American musician
* Lebor na hUidre, a manuscrip ...
, ''Lù Yǔndí'') was miraculously saved during a storm the year before while on an official mission to pay respects to the court of Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
upon the death of its king, Yejong,[ and to replace the ]Liao dynasty
The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...
as the formal suzerains investing his successor, Injong.
Her worship subsequently spread: Li Junfu
Li, li, or LI may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects
* Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political te ...
's early-13th century ''Putian Bishi'' records temples on Meizhou and at Qiaodou, Jiangkou, and Baihu.[ By 1257, ]Liu Kezhuang
Liu Kezhuang (, 1187–1269), was a Song Dynasty Chinese poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter ...
was noting Putian's "large market towns and small villages all have... shrines to the Princess" and that they had spread to Fengting to the south.[.] By the end of the Song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
, there were at least 31 temples to Mazu, reaching at least as far as Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
in the north and Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
in the south.[
As Mazuism spread, it began to absorb the cults of other local shamanesses such as the other two of ]Xianyou
Xianyou (; Puxian Min: ) is a county in the municipal region of Putian, in eastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China.
Administration
The county seat is in Licheng Subdistrict ().
Towns (镇, ''zhen'')
* Linan, Xianyou
Linan () is ...
's "Three Princesses"[ and even some lesser maritime and agricultural gods, including Liu Mian][ and Zhang the Heavenly Instructor.][.] By the 12th century, she had already become a guardian to the people of Qiaodou when they suffered drought, flood, epidemic, piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
,[ or brigandage. She protected women during childbirth][ and assisted with conception. As the patron of the seas, her temples were among the first erected by arriving ]overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese.
Terminology
() or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, refe ...
, as they gave thanks for their safe passage. Despite his Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
upbringing, the Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
admiral and explorer Zheng He
Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
credited Mazu for protecting one of his journeys, prompting a new title in 1409.[ He patronized the Mazu temples of ]Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
and prevailed upon the Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (; pronounced ; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (), was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
Zhu Di was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dyn ...
to construct the city's Tianfei Palace; because of its imperial patronage and prominent location in the empire's southern capital, this was long the largest and highest-status center of Mazuism in China. During the Southern Ming
The Southern Ming (), also known as the Later Ming (), officially the Great Ming (), was an imperial dynasty of China and a series of rump states of the Ming dynasty that came into existence following the Jiashen Incident of 1644. Shun forces ...
resistance to the Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
, Mazu was credited with helping Koxinga
Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
's army capture Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
from the Dutch; she was later said to have personally aided some of Shi Lang
Shi Lang (1621–1696), Marquis Jinghai, also known as Secoe or Sego, was a Chinese admiral who served under the Ming and Qing dynasties in the 17th century. He was the commander-in-chief of the Qing fleets which destroyed the power of Zheng Che ...
's men in defeating Liu Guoxuan
Liu Guoxuan (1628-1693) was the Wuping Marquis and a 17th-century military officer of the Kingdom of Tungning based in Taiwan. He fought all over the island of Taiwan and the nearby mainland. He also commanded the Penghu defense during the Bat ...
at Penghu
The Penghu (, Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately west from the main island of Taiwan, covering an area ...
in 1683, ending the independent kingdom of Koxinga's descendants and placing Taiwan under Qing control.[ The Ming prince ]Zhu Shugui
Zhu Shugui (1617 – 21 July 1683), courtesy name Tianqiu (天球) and art name Yiyuanzi (一元子), the Prince of Changyang (長陽王; 1645–1646), later the Prince of Ningjing (寧靖王), was a royal member of the Ming and the last of t ...
's palace was converted into Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
's Grand Matsu Temple, the first to bear her new title of "Heavenly Empress".[.]
In late imperial China, sailors often carried effigies
An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certai ...
of Mazu to ensure safe crossings.[ Some boats still carry small shrines on their bows. Mazu charms are also used as medicine, including as salves for blistered feet. As late as the 19th century, the ]Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
government officially credited her divine intervention with their 1884 victory over the French at Tamsui District
Tamsui District (Hokkien POJ: ''Tām-chúi''; Hokkien Tâi-lô: ''Tām-tsuí''; Mandarin Pinyin: ''Dànshuǐ'') is a seaside district in New Taipei, Taiwan. It is named after the Tamsui River; the name means "fresh water". The town is popul ...
during the Sino-French War
The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...
and specially honored the town's temple to her, which had served as General Sun Kaihua
Sun Kaihua (died 1893) was a military student of Hunan, who joined Bao Chao's army and fought against the Taiping and Nien rebels, during which time he was wounded. He was rapidly promoted until he became a Brigade General at Zhangzhou in Fujian ...
's headquarters during the fighting.[. ] When US forces bombed Taiwan during World War II, Mazu was said to intercept bombs and defend the people.
Today, Mazuism is practiced in about 1500 temples in 26 countries around the world, mostly in the Sinosphere
The East Asian cultural sphere, also known as the Sinosphere, the Sinic world, the Sinitic world, the Chinese cultural sphere, the Chinese character sphere encompasses multiple countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia that were historically ...
or the overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese.
Terminology
() or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, refe ...
communities such as that of the predominantly Hokkien Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Of these temples, almost 1000 are on Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, representing a doubling of the 509 temples recorded in 1980 and more than a dozen times the number recorded before 1911. These temples are generally registered as Taoist, although some are considered Buddhist.[ There are more than 90 Mazu Temples in Hong Kong. In ]Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
, Mazuism is formally classified as a cult outside of Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
and Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
, although numerous Buddhist and Taoist temples include shrines to her. Her worship is generally permitted but not encouraged, with most surviving temples concentrated around Putian in Fujian. Including the twenty on Meizhou Island
Meizhou Island (; Pu-Xian Min: ''Mî-ciu-doh''), Meichow; Meichou, is a small island close to the coast of China. Meizhou Town () is an administrative unit of Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, China. It is known for being the birthplace of the go ...
, there are more than a hundred in the prefecture and another 70 elsewhere in the province, mostly in the settlements along its coast. There are more than 40 temples in Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
and Hainan
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
and more than 30 in Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
and Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
, but many historical temples are now treated as museums and operated by local parks or cultural agencies. From the early 2000s, pilgrimages from Taiwan to temples in Fujian have been permitted, particularly to the one in Yongchun, where Taiwan's Xingang Mazu Temple has been allowed to open a branch temple. The A-Ma Temple
The A-Ma Temple is a temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called chur ...
on Macao Island is the probable source of its name in Portuguese and English; the historic and protected Tin Hau Temple, Causeway Bay
The Tin Hau Temple in Causeway Bay is one of the Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong. It is located at 10 Tin Hau Temple Road, Causeway Bay, east of Victoria Park, in Eastern District, on Hong Kong Island. The temple has given its name to the MTR ...
in Hong Kong is the source of the Tin Hau area's name from the Cantonese pronunciation of one of Mazu's titles, "Empress of Heaven". The Mazu temple in Melbourne is the largest Chinese temple
Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as:
* '' miào'' () or ''di ...
in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
A major project to build the world's tallest Mazu statue at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau
The Tip of Borneo ( ms, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau) is the northernmost tip of Borneo located in Kudat District, Sabah, Malaysia. The tip marks the meeting point of the South China Sea and Sulu Sea.
Geology
The tip as part of the Kudat Peninsula ...
in Kudat
Kudat ( ms, Pekan Kudat) is the capital of the Kudat District in the Kudat Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 29,025 in 2010. It is located on the Kudat Peninsula, about north of Kota Kinabalu, the state cap ...
, Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
, was officially launched by Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
. The statue was to be 10 stories high, but was canceled due to protests from Muslims in Sabah and political interference. In its absence, the world's tallest statue of the goddess is the Mazu of Tianjin that was erected in 2012.
Informal centers of pilgrimage for Mazu's believers include Meizhou Island
Meizhou Island (; Pu-Xian Min: ''Mî-ciu-doh''), Meichow; Meichou, is a small island close to the coast of China. Meizhou Town () is an administrative unit of Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, China. It is known for being the birthplace of the go ...
, the Zhenlan Temple in Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Taiw ...
on Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, and Xianliang Temple in Xianliang Harbor, Putian
Putian or Putien (, Putian dialect: ''Pó-chéng''), also known as Puyang (莆阳) and Puxian (莆仙), historically known as Xinghua or Hing Hwa (), is a prefecture-level city in eastern Fujian province, China. It borders Fuzhou City to the nor ...
. Together with Meizhou Island, the Xianliang Temple is considered the most sacred place to Mazu, whose supposed death happened on the seashore of Xianliang Harbor. A ceremony attended by pilgrims from different provinces of China and from Taiwan commemorates this legendary event each year in October.
Pilgrimages
The primary temple festival in Mazuism is Lin Moniang's traditional birthday on the 23rd day of the 3rd month of the Chinese lunar calendar. In Taiwan, there are two major pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
s made in her honor, the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage
The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage is an annual celebration of the Taoist sea goddess Mazu held in Taiwan. During the festival, a statue of Mazu is placed in a litter and carried by foot on a round-trip journey from Jenn Lann Temple in Dajia, Taichung t ...
and the Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage
The Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage () is usually held annually between lunar January and April in the western plains of Taiwan, a major Taoist religious event since 1863. After every lunar new year, the Mazu statue of Gongtian Temple () at Baishatun ...
. In both festivals, pilgrims walk more than 300 kilometers to carry a litter
Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, ...
containing statues of the goddess between two temples. Another major festival is that around the Tianhou Temple in Lukang
Lukang, formerly romanized as Lugang and also known by other names, is an urban township in northwestern Changhua County, Taiwan. The township is on the west coast of Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait. Lukang was an important sea port in the 18t ...
. Depending on the year, Mazu's festival day may fall as early as mid-April or as late as mid-May.
The anniversary of her death or supposed ascension into Heaven is also celebrated, usually on the Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival (''Chong Yang Festival'' or ''Chung Yeung Festival'' in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan; ; ''Jungyangjeol'' (Hangul: , Hanja: ), observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar, is a ...
(the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar).[
]
In art
After her death, Mazu was remembered as a young lady who wore a red dress as she roamed over the seas.[.] In religious statuary, she is usually clothed in the attire of an empress, and decorated with accessories such as a ceremonial ''hu'' tablet and a flat-topped imperial cap (''mian'guan'') with rows of beads (''liu'') hanging from the front and back. Her temples are usually protected by the door gods
Menshen or door gods are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu ( ) and Yulü () under the ...
Qianliyan
Qianliyan is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Shunfeng'er as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu.
Name
The name "Qianliyan" literally means "He of the Thousand-Mile" or "League Eyes" but may be taken more genera ...
and Shunfeng'er
Shunfeng'er is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu.
Name
The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound ...
. These vary in appearance but are frequently demons, Qianliyan red with two horns and two yellow sapphire eyes and Shunfeng'er green with one horn and two ruby eyes.
''Lin Moniang
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Re ...
'' (2000), a minor Fujianese TV series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
, was a dramatization of Mazu's life as a mortal. '' Mazu'' 2007) was a Taiwanese animated feature film from the Chinese Cartoon Production Co. depicting her life as a shamaness and goddess. Its production director Teng Chiao admitted the limited appeal to the domestic market: "If young people were our primary target audience, we wouldn't tell the story of Mazu in the first place since they are not necessarily interested in the ancient legend neither do they have loyalty to made-in-Taiwan productions". Instead, "when you look to global markets, the question that foreign buyers always ask is what can best represent Taiwan". ''Mazu'', with its story about "a magic girl and two cute sidekicks azu's door gods Qianliyan and Shunfeng'erspiced up with a strong local flavor" was instead designed with an intent to appeal to international markets interested in Taiwan.[.]
See also
* Irai Leima
)
, deity_of = Goddess of water and aquatic life
, member_of = Lairembis
, image = IRAI LEIMA.jpg
, alt =
, caption = The name "Irai Leima", written in Meitei Mayek abugida
, other_names =
* Ireima ( omp, I ...
* List of Mazu temples around the world
* Ngaleima
Lemlei Ngaleima ( omp, ꯂꯦꯝꯂꯩ ꯉꯥꯂꯩꯃ, lem-lei ngaa-lei-ma, fish goddess) or Ngareima ( mni, ꯉꯥꯔꯩꯃ, ngaa-rei-ma) is the goddess and the divine female personification of the fishes and the aquatic life in Meitei mytho ...
* Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong
Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong are dedicated to Tin Hau (Mazu). Over 100 temples are dedicated (at least partially) to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. A list of these temples can be found below.
Famous temples
Famous Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong include: ...
* Hung Shing Ye
Hung Shing wong (), also known as Hung Shing Ye () and Tai Wong () is a Chinese folk religion deity. The most popular tale states that in his lifetime he was a government official in the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) (洪聖爺)
* Qianliyan
Qianliyan is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Shunfeng'er as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu.
Name
The name "Qianliyan" literally means "He of the Thousand-Mile" or "League Eyes" but may be taken more genera ...
& Shunfeng'er
Shunfeng'er is a Chinese sea and door god. He usually appears with Qianliyan as a guardian of the temples of the sea goddess Mazu.
Name
The name "Shunfeng'er" literally means "Wind Accompanying Ears" in reference to his ability to hear any sound ...
* Queen Mother of the West
The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped in neighbouring Asian countries, and attested from ancient times. From her name alone some of her most importan ...
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
De_wonderen_van_Mazu_[The_miracles_of_Mazu
/nowiki>.html" ;"title="/nowiki>The miracles of Mazu">De wonderen van Mazu /nowiki>The_miracles_of_Mazu">De_wonderen_van_Mazu_[The_miracles_of_Mazu
/nowiki>_Rijksmuseum,_The_Netherlands.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazu_(Goddess)
Mazu.html" ;"title="/nowiki>The miracles of Mazu
/nowiki>">/nowiki>The miracles of Mazu">De wonderen van Mazu [The miracles of Mazu
/nowiki> Rijksmuseum, The Netherlands.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazu (Goddess)
Mazu">
Chinese goddesses
Mother goddesses
Sea and river goddesses
Folk saints
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Tutelary deities
Deified Chinese people
Taoism in Guangdong
Deified women