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Folk Customs
--- The Worship of Mazu >
Wherever There Are Chinese, There Is Mazu |
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The
Meizhou ancestral temple towers at the top of Mount
Meifeng. On the left is the Main hall, in the middle
is Tianhou Hall, and on the right is Ascension-to-Heaven
Pavilion.
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On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month
of the year 987, when Lin Mo had reached the age of 27, she
said to her family, "I feel very peaceful and quiet in my mind,
but I don't want to live in the human world any more. I would
like to ascend the mountain and travel afar so as to realize
my long-cherished wish...." Her family thought that she simply
wanted to climb the mountain and enjoy the scenery - little
did they know that she would never again return to them.
So Lin Mo climbed Mount Meifeng, and when she reached the top
auspicious clouds appeared in the sky and mysterious music was
heard. She jumped onto the clouds and went away with the wind.
It is said that later people often saw her appear in the sky
over the vast sea. Wearing red clothes, she would fly to and
fro, appearing wherever there was danger to protect boats and
people. In recognition of her supernatural
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From
Meizhou Island one can see the mainland off in the distance,
Mazu's birthplace.
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powers and great religious
attainment, local people started to called her "Mazu" (literally
"ancestral mother") and built a temple to her at the top of
Mount Meifeng, from where she ascended to heaven and became
an immortal.
The worship of Mazu as a goddess originated
among the common people, but in later dynasties was officially
encouraged by the imperial court. The cult of Mazu spread very
quickly in the coastal areas as well as to some inland provinces,
and many temples were built to her. From the Northern Song Dynasty
(960-1127) down through the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, Mazu
was promoted by the imperial court and granted many titles -
from "The Heavenly Concubine" and "The
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Vessels
with coloured banners moor at Meizhou Port to let off
pilgrims who have come to pay homage..
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Heavenly Empress" to
"The Holy Mother in Heaven". She was even classified as a goddess
worthy of State sacrifices. However, regardless of the titles
she was granted by the imperial court, she was always the guardian
angel of the common folk, who continued to simply call her Mazu.
Later, with the development of marine transportation,
Mazu worship was brought overseas by voyagers. Especially during
the Ming and Qing dynasties, when many Chinese migrated abroad,
the cult of Mazu spread to wherever Chinese went. Now, Mazu
temples are found anywhere Chinese people live, all over the
world. |
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