Shared culture sees followers of Song Dynasty sea goddess remain faithful across the waves

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The fervor for folk beliefs is unparalleled in Southeast China's Fujian province, and during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, faith in a rich tapestry of deities crossed over the sea to Taiwan as people moved to the island, forming a cultural bridge between the two shores. Among these, the most revered deity is Mazu, the goddess of the sea.

Vibrant celebrations take place in Taiwan to mark Mazu's birthday on the 23rd of the third month in the Chinese calendar. These festivities epitomize the widespread devotion to the goddess. The grandest of these festivities is the annual Dajia pilgrimage, set to start late in the night of April 4 at Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung, where devotees embark on a sacred journey spanning 300 kilometers over nine days and nights, drawing tens of thousands of worshippers each year.

Mazu, originally named Lin Mo, was born on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian province, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Revered for her miraculous abilities to calm storms and rescue troubled ships, she became a symbol of protection and salvation for seafarers, leading to the construction of temples in her honor.

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Since the late Ming Dynasty, Fujian people have journeyed to Taiwan, often carrying Mazu idols for protection during the perilous voyage across the Taiwan Strait. Upon safely reaching Taiwan, they established temples to worship Mazu, spreading her following across the island as the most prevalent folk belief.

There are over 500 Mazu temples across Taiwan, and the Meizhou Mazu Temple in Fujian is recognized as their ancestral temple. To celebrate Mazu's birthday each year, devotees from all corners of Taiwan form pilgrimage groups to pay homage to the deity at the temple on Meizhou Island.

Wu Kun-tsai, a history professor at Chiayi University in Taiwan, said that Mazu believers come from all walks of life, transcending political affiliations and gender.

"It's a common practice in Taiwan for families to worship together. When I was young, I walked seven kilometers to visit the Chao-Tian Temple in Beigang to pray," he said.

All Mazu temples in Taiwan have their roots on the mainland, particularly originating from Meizhou Island. The Mazu statues worshipped in various temples across Taiwan were brought over by people from Fujian, Wu said.

Reflecting on his experiences taking Taiwan students to visit Mazu temples on the mainland, Wu said, "I was deeply moved because Mazu is a shared sea goddess among us Chinese, connecting people on both sides of the Strait."

He said that for political reasons, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan are reluctant to promote exchanges involving Mazu worship between both sides of the Strait. Instead, they attempt to create the misconception that popular deities like Mazu and Guan Gong are indigenous to Taiwan so as to sever the historical ties between the two sides.

"However, this won't work because when people hear about Guan Gong, they think of the Three Kingdoms (220-280). With Mazu, such a widespread belief, it's impossible to make it just local to Taiwan," he said.

Similarly, the recent domestically produced animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, which draws from ancient Chinese mythology, has sparked discussions and attracted numerous Taiwan residents to the mainland to watch the movie, fostering cultural exchanges between people on both sides of the Strait.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, led a delegation of nearly 40 Taiwan students to watch the film at a Beijing cinema during a five-day visit to the mainland in February.

"Family love is what attracts me the most to this movie because I have a very good relationship with my own family, so watching it made me very sad," said Ko Yi-ting, a student who was moved to tears when Nezha's mother dies in the movie, hugging him in her final moments.

Chuang Po-chung, a professor from the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, said that on the island, Nezha is a symbolic figure in traditional religious activities, so it's a mythical character that people in Taiwan are very familiar with.

In Fujian and Taiwan, the mythical figure Nezha is a beloved and adorable child deity, revered as a guardian, especially known for protecting children. Nezha also often appears in Mazu parades.

Historical records indicate that during the Qing Dynasty, ancestors from Quanzhou in Fujian brought the Nezha deity to Taiwan's Chiayi, establishing the first Nezha temple in Taiwan, the Xinying Taizi Temple. Over the years, this tradition has flourished, and today there are over 370 Nezha temples across the entire island of Taiwan.

Hsiao said that, like Nezha, Mazu could be a subject for the silver screen.

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"Taiwan has over 10 million Mazu worshippers, surpassing half of the total population. Also, there have been numerous exchanges related to Mazu between Taiwan and the mainland," said Hsiao, who expressed his hope that professionals in Taiwan's film and television industry could strengthen collaborations and exchanges with the mainland.

"With the mainland's growing influence, Chinese culture has not only spread across the Taiwan Strait but also globally," Hsiao noted. He said he is pleased to see Chinese cultural products like films and games, such as Empresses in the Palace and Black Myth: Wukong reaching international audiences.

With a rich and enduring history, Chinese civilization, spanning five millennia, remains uniquely comprehensible to contemporary audiences. The global appeal of Chinese culture naturally captivates people from diverse backgrounds. Hsiao advocates for Taiwan's entertainment industry to actively engage in this cultural exchange by creating internationally acclaimed works inspired by Chinese traditions and folklore.

"It is a very positive phenomenon because I believe that Chinese culture has a long and rich history, so it's natural our foreign friends would be moved and come to appreciate it," he said.

Contact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn