As the most influential goddess of the sea in China, Mazu is at the heart of a host of beliefs and customs, including oral traditions, religious ceremonies, and folk practices, throughout the country's coastal areas and countless Chinese communities around the world.

Mazu or Ma-Tsu, literally referring to "maternal ancestor," is also known as "Mazupo" in east China's Fujian Province, where her hometown is located, and "A-Ma" in Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), whose Portuguese name of "Macao" came from the pronunciation of the word "Mazu Pavilion."

Legends around Mazu's life are passed down through word of mouth, folk poems, and the works of historians and anthropologists – the usual way most Chinese learn about the stories of gods and goddesses.

This legendary lady is also highly esteemed by authorities and can be found in massive official files including government and court documents, shipping logbooks, and Taoist scriptures, on which she is given numerous illustrious titles such as Tianfei (Princess of Heaven), Tianhou (Empress of Heaven), and Holy Heavenly Mother.

The Mazu belief and customs, inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on September 30, 2009, primarily contains three parts – sacrificial and worship ceremonies, folk customs and folk tales, which have been deeply integrated into the lives of coastal Chinese and their descendants.

A girl deified as the guardian for seafarers

The Chinese navigation guardian goddess originated with the deification of a kindhearted girl initially named Lin Mo (or Lin Moniang).

Born in an established family on Meizhou Island in Fujian Province in 960 AD, she showed remarkable intelligence at a young age. With a vast knowledge of astronomy and Chinese medicine, she is also well-known for outstanding swimming skill and prowess.

Throughout her life, Mazu helped coastal residents and local seafarers by making medicines, curing patients as well as forecasting the weather, planning safe routes and saving lives from shipwrecks.

There are several legends about her "death" and how she turned into the goddess. An oft-told version goes that Mazu eventually sacrificed herself at the age of 28 while trying to rescue the survivors of a shipwreck.

Her fellow townspeople then built a temple in memory of the virtuous and kind woman and to worship her as the goddess, representing mercy, kindness and compassion.

During the millennium after her death, the royal courts of several different dynasties raised her status through new and grander titles (36 in all) and organizing the construction of new temples. The folk people also voluntarily built new buildings for worship and extensively repaired the original ones.

Today, many Chinese, especially those living in coastal China, still strongly believe that Mazu will always look out for the brave sailors and fishermen. As maritime activities flourished, Mazu temples were established in various port cities all over the world, following in footprints of Chinese immigrants.

Mazu belief and customs has spread over 20 countries and regions. There are more than 200 million devotees worldwide and over 5,000 temples devoted to her.

Veneration manifested in folk customs and grand ceremonies

Worship of Mazu has become a mainstream belief as well as part of the public cultural heritage in regions where the belief is particularly strong. Mazu belief and customs are a folk culture dedicated to the worship and praise of Mazu's grace and benevolence.

Daily worship takes place on a relatively smaller scale throughout the year. Folk practices embrace a variety of dances and drama performances, wearing perfume silk bags and carrying Mazu lanterns in evening processions. 

Worship ceremonies, as an essential part of Mazu belief and customs, can either be a family sacrifice or temple sacrifice.

A worship of "Chuanzai Ma" (the guardian of the boat) is regarded as one of the most primitive forms of family sacrifice. In the course of the ceremony, a sculpture of Mazu is placed on the boat to pray for a safe voyage.

In addition, people may prepare offerings to venerate her sculpture at their residences or worship at the sea to the goddess, praying for peace and luck.

Amidst the sound of drums and gongs, a grand temple sacrifice ceremony will be held at the local main temple, featuring a host of formalities including offering floral tributes, lighting incense and candles, kowtowing and praying as well as lighting firecrackers to welcome the goddess to attend the ceremony and see her off at last.

Mazu palaces and temples are the major venue for various activities, manifested in relevant customs, temple fairs and folk tales.

Guangzhou, the capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, is home to the largest Mazu temple in the world – the Nansha Mazu Temple. North China's Tianjin City boasts the world's third-largest Mazu temple.

The Lugang Tianhou Temple in Taipei, China's Taiwan region, built in 1685 is the most renowned one among over 1,000 Mazu temples in the island region that serve about 17 million Mazu devotees, more than two-thirds of the population on the island.

Best known as Mazu's home temple, the biggest Mazu temple on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian Province observes one of the most magnificent sacrifice ceremonies  every year on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, with tens of thousands of people from all around the world paying homage to Mazu's hometown to celebrate her birthday.

Another annual grand worship event takes place at the same place on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month for her death anniversary. Both of the spring and autumn worship ceremonies are extraordinary festivals not only celebrated by local residents and devotees but also an increasing number of tourists.

(Cover image by Li Jingjie; Video by Zhou Tingyu)