Thousands of worshipers and visitors gathered on the Meizhou Island in east China's Fujian Province for a spring ceremony honoring the sea goddess Mazu, in an event highlighting the enduring cultural ties surrounding Mazu belief across the Taiwan Strait.
The ceremony, held at the Meizhou Mazu Temple, marked the 1,066th anniversary of Mazu's birth and drew representatives of Mazu cultural organizations from home and abroad, along with more than 400 visitors from Taiwan.
Drums thundered and ceremonial salutes rang out as traditional rites began at the temple on Friday morning.
"In Taiwan, a huge number of people worship Mazu, and we are very devoted to Mazu culture. Every year, we bring thousands of worshipers to the Meizhou Island to burn incense and pay tribute. We hope people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait can visit each other more often and have more exchanges, so they can better understand one another," said Ko Chung-wen, secretary-general of the Taiwan Tourism Associations Coalition.
Mazu, the sea goddess believed to protect seafarers and fishermen, has long been worshiped in Fujian, Taiwan and other coastal regions of China.
As an important part of Mazu folk traditions, the Mazu memorial ceremony has been passed down for centuries and is regarded as one of China's three major traditional ceremonies, alongside those honoring the Yellow Emperor and Confucius. It was included in China's first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.
Official figures show that more than 1.3 million Mazu followers have visited the Meizhou Island so far this year.
"We truly hope more Mazu followers will come back to this spiritual home. Here at the Meizhou Mazu Temple, people can feel the connection to history amidst the matin bell and vesper drum, and in the lingering aroma of incense, they can experience the cultural roots and bond that link them together," said Lin Jinzan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Meizhou Mazu Temple.
"The spirit of Mazu -- promoting virtue, kindness and compassion -- also reflects the shared roots of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As more people can understand these values through Mazu culture, it can be passed on forever," said Lin Chen Kuo-hao, a visitor from Taiwan.
This year's celebrations, themed "Worshiping Mazu and Sharing Peace Together", also included the inauguration of the Meizhou Mazu Academy, an award ceremony for a youth film camp involving universities from Putian and Taiwan, and folk activities showcasing local intangible cultural heritage traditions.
Ceremony honoring sea goddess Mazu draws worshipers to Fujian
Ceremony honoring sea goddess Mazu draws worshipers to Fujian
