Taiwan Today

Waves surged up to great heights and the stern dipped deeper and deeper into the water. The sail was torn by the gale and winds ripped through the small shelter which provided the only protection from the threatening waves. A woman was kneeling inside in prayer. The noise of the crashing sea drowned out the small voice of her plea to Heaven. Suddenly a great wave hurled itself against the boat. A tongue of water reached out to engulf her and snatch her away to the depths of the ocean.

Rhythmic sounds of the surf awakened the woman. She found herself dry and warmed by the rays of a gentle sun. She sighed and looked toward her man, who was a few feet away. He woke, too, and looked at her and at the beach. Their lives had been spared but the sea had taken their boat and means of earning a living.

Villagers from Meichow island in P'utien county of Fukien province found them and gave them food and drink. The man and woman settled down near the ocean and started a new life of fishing. In time they became prosperous as the Lin family and shared their wealth with the villagers in thanks for the sparing of their lives. The Lins had five daughters and one sickly son. One evening in June of 959 A. D., the father prayed for another boy child. That night his wife dreamed that the Goddess of Mercy des­cended from Heaven and gave her a lotus seed, saying: "You shall have an offspring who will be remembered for generations to come." After some days, the wife found herself pregnant. On the 23rd day of the 3rd moon (May 6) in the year 960 a strange light shone upon the Lin house and a baby girl was born. House and village were filled by a strange fragrance. All knew a child had been born to the Lin family. The baby did not cry. It slept quietly and peacefully for the first month of its life. The parents were moved and named the child Mo-niang, the silent maiden.

At the age of 8, Mo-niang was sent to the village school to learn the Classics. To the surprise of her teacher, she recited her lessons fluently. After classes, Mo-niang spent most of her time in meditation. When she was 13 years old, a Bud­dhist monk told her parents: "Mo-niang is blessed by the Buddha. She will attain Nirvana." Mo-niang was taught the Buddhist Sutras and took up her heavenly mission of saving the distressed. She often sailed with her brother and father and once saved them from the sea when their boat capsized. She became known as the filial daughter of the Lin family and spent even more time in meditation.

At the age of 16, Mo-niang received a copper talisman from her master. This gave her the power to go to sea and rescue fishermen in distress. Her parents called to her one day as she was meditating in her room. She did not answer. The Lins feared she was ill and went to her side. Mo-niang sat motionless and speechless, her eyes closed. They wanted to ask her if she was sick but decided to wait until she awoke. Some hours later, Mo-niang told them of dreaming that she had saved several fishermen from a stormy sea. The next day a group of fishermen called on the Lin family and asked for Mo-niang. Her father asked what they wanted. The fishermen bowed and told of how a storm had swept them out to sea. The waves surged high and the winds blew in gale force. Their boats settled deeper and deeper into the water and their sails were torn to pieces. Suddenly a young girl descended from the clouds and extended her hand. The waves calmed and a strange fragrance filled the air. The fishermen pointed their boats toward the image in the sky and soon reached land. The girl smiled at them, told them where they were and referred them to the Lin family in Meichow if they needed further help. The time of Mo-niang's dream coincided with the time of the rescue. The story was told and retold far and wide. Fishermen began praying to Mo-niang to bless them and guard them from the hazards of wind and wave. Many others returned to the sea to tell of being saved by seeing her lovely image in the sky.

When Mo-niang was 18 years, a plague infected P'utien county, killing off the people. No one could prevent its spread or cure the stricken. Mo-niang volunteered to care for the sick. She went to the mountains to gather herbs. Her treatment saved many lives and brought the plague to an end.

Mo-niang's meditations and humanitarian deeds moved the Heavens and won her the protec­tion of the Goddess of Mercy, who assigned the war gods Hsun Fung Erh (God of Ears) and Ch'ien Li Yen (God of Thousand Li Eyes) to accompany her on her trips across the mountains and out to sea.

As Mo-niang reached marriageable age, her parents tried to persuade her to take a husband. She refused, saying her life was dedicated to the poor and the suffering. At the age of 28 in the year 988, Mo-niang ascended to Heaven one clear morning. As she left the world, the room was filled with the same strange scent as when she was born. Mo-niang no longer walked the earth but her spirit watched from above, caring for those in trouble and answering those who prayed for her help. The people worshiped her and called her by such revered names as Matsu (Respected Mother) Matsup'o (Respected Grandma) and Ahma (Grandma). In 1087, 99 years after Mo-niang ascended to Heaven, residents of P'utien county built China's first Matsu temple at Meichow in present-day Fukien province. For centuries women working in the fields took their babies to the Matsu temple and prayed to her image, saying: "I place my child in your loving care." Then they went to work, leaving the children in the temple. The children played among themselves and never cried out in fear or hunger, though their mothers stayed in the fields all day.

In 1123 two ambassadors of the Sung court, Lu Yuen-ti and Li Fu, were commissioned by Emperor Hui Chung to undertake a mission to Korea. They set sail with eight ships. Shortly after their departure, a violent storm sank seven ships and threatened the eighth. Suddenly a bright light descended from the clouds and shone upon the last ship. A lady in white gown appeared at the rudder and guided the vessel to safety. Lu and Li completed their mission in Korea and returned to the Sung court. They mentioned the encounter with the white gowned lady in their report. Emperor Hui Chung was moved. He wrote an imperial decree containing the two characters shun chi (favorable benevolence) and ordered these made into a plaque to be hung in the Matsu temple at Meichow.

In 1159, during the reign of Sung Emperor Kao Chung, pirates attacked Chuanchow in Fukien province. The inhabitants prayed to Matsu for help. Strong winds and high seas sank the pirate ships. Officials at Chuanchow reported this to the imperial court. Kao Chung bestowed the honorary title of Lin Hui Chao Yin Fu Jen (Madame of Prayer) on Matsu, in 1192, Sung Emperor Kuang Chung bestowed upon Matsu the title of Lin Hui Fei (Empress of Prayer). In the Yuan dynasty she was elevated to Heavenly Empress. During the Ming dynasty, Cheng Ho sailed to the South Seas seven times between 1403 and 1425. Upon each return, he reported seeing Matsu during crises at sea. Once near Canton, Cheng Ho's fleet was lashed by strong winds. He led his sailors in prayer: "On this mission to foreign lands I have met with strong winds. Sacrifice of my own life is of no importance but I will not have completed my mission for my country. The lives of thousands of men depend upon a successful mission. I pray that Her Majesty the Heavenly Empress may guide us safely through the storm." After this prayer, the winds calmed and a strange fragrance filled the air. The sound of rolling drums was heard and a bright light flashed in the sky. A goddess in red gown appeared above the fleet as if to layout the course. Wave and wind quieted and the sea again was peaceful. Cheng Ho returned from his mission and reported to the emperor of the miracle at sea. An imperial decree ordered construction of a Matsu temple near the Ching Chieh temple atop Lion's Mountain in Nanking.

Many subsequent stories told of fishing boats returning home at night with guidance from a strange light which appeared out of nowhere. Fishermen called it the fire of Goddess Matsu.

In June of 1684, Shih Liang led a division of marines in an attack on Taiwan. He fought against Liu Kuo-hsuen at Pinghai. Shih was still aboard the command ship when soldiers descended from the sky and defeated Liu's forces. When Shih's thirsty troops went ashore, they found only a small well near the Heavenly Empress temple. The quantity of water seemed much too small. But as Shih stood beside the well, water gushed up in plenty to serve more than 40,000 men. Shih entered the temple and saw that the images of Matsu and her guardian gods were dripping water. He realized they had helped him. In his report to Ch'ing Emperor K'ang Hsi, Shih said: "During the attack on Taiwan, many men reported seeing the Heavenly Empress leading them." Field Commander Liu Chun dream t of the Heavenly Empress and said: "By June 21 Penghu will fall and by July Taiwan will be conquered." Emperor K'ang Hsi bestowed upon Matsu the title of Heavenly Queen and ordered a temple built in her honor. This is Tien Hou Kung built in Tainan in 1684.

The Ch'ao Tien Kung, built at Peikang in south central Taiwan in 1694, is the largest Matsu temple on Taiwan. The image of Matsu worshiped at this temple was brought to Taiwan from Meichow in that year by the Taoist monk Shu Pi. The first Matsu temple in Taiwan province was established on Matsu island in the Penghu (Pesca­dores) in 1622. The second oldest was built at Anping near Tainan in 1668. Some temples on Taiwan house images of Matsu originally worshiped on the mainland. Images from Meichow are called the Meichow Ma (Goddess of Meichow) and ashes from Tungan are called the Yintung Ma. Those from Ch'uenchow are called the Wenlin Ma. The Ch'ao Tien Kung at Peikang, Tien Hou Kung at Makung in the Penghu and the Ling Shan temple at Peitou near Taipei are the best known temples to Matsu in Taiwan.