Taiwan Today

The Chinese deity Mazu, who is revered by ethnic Chinese communities around the world as a goddess of the sea, is retaking the mainland with the help of Changhua County’s Lugang Tianhou Temple. “The visit of Lugang’s Mazu to her home temple on Meizhou Island in Fujian province marks the fourth year of cross-strait religious exchanges between Taiwan and mainland China,” said Lugang Temple Chairman Chang Dong-wei. According to Chang, around 100,000 mainland pilgrims representing 136 temples will follow Lugang’s Mazu on a four-day procession beginning in Fujian Nov. 1. The event is part of the 11th China Meizhou Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival, which is themed on fostering peace across the Taiwan Strait. “Mazu is a world cultural heritage,” said Chang. “Her crossing to the mainland from Taiwan this year sends a message of peace and ensures that all followers receive the goddess’s divine mercy.” Mazu is believed to have been born on Fujian’s Meizhou Island in 960 A.C. During mainland China’s Cultural Revolution, the center of belief moved to Taiwan where there are millions of followers and more than 400 temples. The opening of the “mini-three-links” between Taiwan and mainland China in 1987 cleared the way for Lugang’s Mazu to make her journey across the strait. (PCT-JSM)