View source for Mazu

{{Short description|Chinese sea goddess}}
{{other uses}}
{{redirect|Tin Hau}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2022}}
{{stack begin}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = '''Mazu'''
| pic = Wood Statue of Mazu Late 19th century CE Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 CE) China.jpg
| piccap = 19th-century wooden Mazu statue, [[Field Museum of Natural History]]
| t = {{linktext|媽祖}}
| s = {{linktext|妈祖}}
| p = Māzǔ
| w = Ma<sup>1</sup>-tsu<sup>3</sup>
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|m|a|1|.|z|u|3}}
| poj = Má-chó͘
| tl = Má-tsóo
| buc = Mă-cū
| y = Māajóu
| j = Maa1-zou2
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|m|aa|1|.|z|ou|2}}
| l = "Mother Ancestor"
| altname = Lin Moniang
| c2 = {{linktext|林|默|娘}}
| p2 = Lín Mòniáng
| w2 = Lin<sup>2</sup> Mo<sup>4</sup>-niang<sup>2</sup>
| mi2 = {{IPAc-cmn|l|in|2|-|m|o|4|.|n|iang|2}}
| poj2 = Lîm Be̍k-niû / Lîm Bia̍k-niû / Lîm Be̍k-niô͘
| tl2 = Lîm Bi̍k-niû / Lîm Bia̍k-niû / Lîm Bi̍k-niôo
| buc2 = Lìng Mĕk-Niòng
| y2 = Làhm Mahknèuhng
| j2 = Lam4 Mak6-noeng4
| ci2 = {{IPAc-yue|l|am|4|-|m|ak|6|.|n|oeng|4}}
| kanji = 媽祖
| romaji = Masobyō
| hiragana = 
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = '''Popular names'''
| altname = Granny Mazu
| t2 = {{linktext|媽祖|婆}}
| s2 = {{linktext|妈祖|婆}}
| p2 = Māzǔpó
| w2 = Ma tsu3 p'o
| poj2 = Má-chó͘ -pô
| tl2 = Má-tsóo-pô　
| buc2 = Mă-cū-bò̤
| y2 = Māa Jóu pòh
| j2 = Maa1 Zou2 po4
| l2 = Granny Mazu
| altname3 = Queen of Heaven
| c3 = {{linktext|天后}}
| p3 = Tiānhòu
| w3 = T'ien-hou4
| poj3 = Thian-hiō
| tl3 = Thian-hiō
| buc3 = Tiĕng-hâiu
| y3 = Tīn hauh
| j3 = Tin1 hau6
| l3 = Celestial{{nbsp}}Empress
| altname4 = Heavenly Consort
| c4 = {{linktext|天妃}}
| p4 = Tiānfēi
| w4 = T'ien-fei
| poj4 = Thian-hui
| tl4 = Thian-hui
| buc4 = Tiĕng-hĭ
| y4 = Tīn fēi
| j4 = Tin1 fei1
| l4 = Celestial{{nbsp}}Consort
| altname5 = Holy Heavenly Mother
| t5 = {{linktext|天上聖母}}
| s5 = {{linktext|天上圣母}}
| p5 = Tiānshàng Shèngmǔ
| w5 = T'ien shang4 sheng4 mu3
| poj5 = Thian-siōng sèng-bó͘
| tl5 = Thian-siōng sìng-bó
| buc5 = Tiĕng-siông séng-mō̤
| y5 = Tīn seuhng sing móuh
| j5 = Tin1 soeng6 sing3 mou4
| l5 = {{nowrap|Heavenly-&-Sacred Mother
}}  
}}
{{Infobox intangible heritage
| Name = Mazu Belief and Customs
| Image = 
| imagesize = 
| Caption = 
| Country = China
| ID = 227
| Region = APA
| Year = 2009
| List = Representative
| Session = 4th
| Below = [[File:Unesco Cultural Heritage logo.svg|100px]]
| Note = UNESCO Cultural Heritage
}}
{{stack end}}
{{Chinese folk religion|internal traditions}}
'''Mazu''' or '''Matsu'''<!--Chinese in infobox--> is a [[sea goddess]] in [[Chinese folk religion]], [[Chinese Buddhism]], [[Confucianism]], and [[Taoism]]. She is also known by [[#Names|several other names and titles]]. Mazu is the [[apotheosis|deified form]] of '''Lin Moniang''' ({{Lang-zh|c={{linktext|林|默|娘}}|poj=Lîm Be̍k-niû / Lîm Bia̍k-niû / Lîm Be̍k-niô͘|p=Lín Mòniáng}}), a [[shamaness]] from [[Fujian]] who is said to have lived in the late 10th century. After her death, she became revered as a [[tutelary deity]] of Chinese seafarers, including [[fishermen]] and [[sailor]]s. 

Her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and [[overseas Chinese]] communities throughout [[Southeast Asia]], where some Mazuist temples are affiliated with famous Taiwanese temples. Traditionally, Mazu was believed to roam the seas, safeguarding her devotees through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven.

Mazu worship is popular in [[religion in Taiwan|Taiwan]] because many early Chinese settlers in Taiwan were [[Hoklo people]] from Fujian. Her [[#Festival|temple festival]] is a major event in Taiwan, with the largest celebrations occurring in and around her temples at [[Dajia Jenn Lann Temple|Dajia]] and [[Chaotian Temple|Beigang]].

{{TOC limit|3}}
{{anchor|Etymology|Name|Names|Title|Titles}}

==Names and titles==
In addition to Mazu <ref name=bol86>{{harvp|Boltz|1986|p=211}}.</ref><ref name=ir90-62>{{harvp|Irwin|1990|p=62}}.</ref> or '''Ma-tsu''', meaning "Maternal Ancestor"<ref name=matanc>{{harvp|Clark|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=126EsR8rpC8C&pg=PA203 203]}}.</ref> "Mother",<ref name=rmb>{{harvp|Yuan|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UBHQC_Iz6OMC&pg=PA122 122]}}.</ref> "Granny", or "Grandmother",{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} Lin Moniang is worshipped under other names and titles:

* Mazupo <ref name=duv38-344/><ref name=bol86/> ({{zhi|s=妈祖婆|l=Granny Mazu|t=媽祖婆}}) or '''Ma Cho Po''' in [[Hokkien]], a popular name in Fujian<ref name=duv38-344/><ref name=bol86/>
* A-Ma, also spelled {{zhp|p=Ah-Ma|c=阿媽|l=Mother, Grandmother}}, a popular name in Macau<ref>{{harvp|Bosco|Ho|1999|p=9}}</ref>
* Linghui Furen<ref name=duv38-344/> ("Lady of Numinous Grace"), an official title conferred in 1156.<ref name=duv38-344/><ref name=bolth>{{harvp|Boltz|2008|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=R3Sp6TfzhpIC&pg=PA743 743]}}.</ref>
* Linghui Fei<ref name=duv38-344/> ("Princess of Numinous Grace"), an official title conferred in 1192.<ref name=duv38-344/>
* '''Tianfei''' ("Princess of Heaven", Wu Chinese: ''Thi-fi''),<ref name=bol86/><ref>{{Harvnb|Dreyer|2007|loc=148}}.</ref> fully Huguo Mingzhu Tianfei<ref name=duv38-344/> ("Illuminating Princess of Heaven who Protects the Nation"), an official title conferred in 1281.<ref name=duv38-344/><ref name=bolo/>
* Huguo Bimin Miaoling Zhaoying Hongren Puji Tianfei ("Heavenly Princess who Protects the Nation and Shelters the People, of Marvelous Numen, Brilliant Resonance, Magnanimous Kindness, and Universal Salvation"), an official title conferred in 1409.<ref name=bolth/>
* '''Tianhou''' or Tianhou Shengmu (title used mostly in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam), also called '''Tin Hau''' in Cantonese, '''Thean Hou''' in Min Chinese and '''Thiên Hậu''' in Vietnamese ({{zhi|c=天后|l=Queen/Empress of Heaven}}),<ref name=ir90-62/> an official title conferred in 1683.<ref name=bolo/>
* Tianshang Shengmu ("Holy Heavenly Mother"; title used mostly in Taiwan)<ref name=bolo>{{harvp|Boltz|2008|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=R3Sp6TfzhpIC&pg=PA741 741]}}.</ref> 
* {{zhp|p=Tongxian Lingnü|s=通贤灵女|l=Worthy & Efficacious Lady|t=通賢靈女}}{{sfnp|Soo|1990|p=31}}
* {{zhp|p=Shennü|c=神女|l=Divine Woman}}<ref name=shennv>{{harvp|Clark|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=126EsR8rpC8C&pg=PA205 205]}}.</ref>
* Zhaoxiao Chunzheng Fuji Ganying Shengfei<ref name=duv38-344/> ("Holy Princess of Clear Piety, Pure Faith, and Helpful Response"), an official title conferred during the reign of the [[Hongwu Emperor]] of the Ming.<ref name=duv38-344/>
* {{zhp|p=Gupozu|s=姑婆祖|l=Great-Grandaunt|t=}}, an unofficial title used by descendants whose surname is "[[Lin (surname)|Lin]]({{lang|zh|林}})", due to sharing the same surname Lin.

Although many of Mazu's temples honor her titles Tianhou and Tianfei, it became customary to never pray to her under those names during an emergency since it was believed that, hearing one of her formal titles, Mazu might feel obligated to groom and dress herself as properly befitting her station before receiving the petition. Prayers invoking her as Mazu were thought to be answered more quickly.<ref name=bfw/>

{{anchor|Person}}

==History==
[[file:Mazu Tomb.jpg |thumb|The alleged tomb of Lin Moniang in [[Nangan, Lienchiang|Nangan]] in the [[Matsu Islands]]]]
Very little is known of the historical Lin Moniang.<ref name=matanc/> She was apparently a [[shamaness]] from a small fishing village on [[Meizhou Island]], part of [[Fujian]]'s [[Putian County]],<ref name=duv38-344/> in the late 10th century.<ref name=matanc/> She probably did not live there, but on the nearby mainland.<ref>{{harvp|Clark|2006|p=224}}.</ref>{{efn|She may have been born on the mainland as well.<ref>{{harvp|Clark|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LgGhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA126 126]}}.</ref>}} During this era, Fujian was greatly [[sinification|sinicized]] by influxes of refugees fleeing invasions of northern China and it has been hypothesised that Mazu's [[Cult (religious practice)|cult]] represented a hybridization of Chinese and native indigenous culture.<ref>{{harvp|Clark|2015|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LgGhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA131 131–2]}}.</ref> The earliest record of her cult is from two centuries later, an 1150 inscription that mentions "she could foretell a man's good and ill luck" and, "after her death, the people erected a temple for her on her home island".<ref name=matanc/>

==Legend==
[[File:Mazu.jpg|thumb|A statue of Mazu Goddess near Meizhou Mazu Temple grounds in [[Meizhou Island]], [[Fujian]], China]]
The [[Chinese legend|legends]] around Lin Moniang's life were broadly established by the 12th century.<ref name=matanc/>

She was said to have been born under the reign of the [[Quanzhou]]nese warlord [[Liu Congxiao]] ({{abbr|d|died}}.{{nbsp}}962), in the [[Min Kingdom]],<ref name=matanc/> which eventually developed into the specific date of the 23rd day of the third month of the [[Chinese lunar calendar]]{{sfnp|Soo|1990|p=31}}{{efn|This is sometimes mistakenly translated into English as "March 23", for example by [[Fuzhou University]]'s overview of the [[Meizhou Temple]].<ref name=fzu>{{citation|contribution=Mazhu Temple in Meizhou |contribution-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707024306/http://www.fzu.edu.cn/fujian/eput.html |title=Fujian Province |url=http://www.fzu.edu.cn/fzu/f2_0 |publisher=Fuzhou University |location=Fuzhou |date=1999 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050218061834/http://www.fzu.edu.cn/fzu/f2_0 |archive-date=2005-02-18 }}.</ref>}} in AD{{nbsp}}960, the first year of the [[Song dynasty|Song]].{{efn|The coincidence of the date, only attested in late sources, is often doubted by modern scholars such as [[Hugh R. Clark|Clark]].<ref>{{harvp|Clark|2015|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LgGhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA130 130–1]}}.</ref>}} The late Ming ''Great Collection of the Three Teachings' Origin and Development and Research into the Divine'', placed her birth much earlier, in 742.<ref name=bolt>{{harvp|Boltz|2008|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=R3Sp6TfzhpIC&pg=PA742 742]}}.</ref>

The early sources speak of her as "Miss Lin". Her [[Chinese given name|given name]] Mo ("Silent One")<ref name=rmb2/> or Moniang ("the Silent Girl") appeared later. It was said to have been chosen when she did not cry during birth<ref name=rmb/> or during the first month afterwards. She remained a quiet and pensive child as late as four.<ref name=rmb2>{{harvp|Yuan|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UBHQC_Iz6OMC&pg=PA123 123]}}.</ref> She was said to have been the sixth<ref name=rmb/> or seventh daughter of Lin Yuan ({{linktext|lang=zh-hant|林|願}}). He is now usually remembered as one of the local fishermen,<ref name=rmb/> although the 1593 edition of the ''[[Records of Research into the Divine]]'' made him Putian's chief military inspector.<ref name=bolo/> The family was helpful and popular within their village.<ref name=rmb/> 

Late legends intended to justify Mazu's presence in Buddhist temples held that her parents had prayed to [[Guanyin]] for a son but received yet another daughter.<ref name=rmb/> In one version, her mother dreamt of Guanyin giving her a magical pill to induce pregnancy and woke to find the pill still in her hand.<ref name=rmb/> Rather than being born in the conventional way, Mazu shot from her mother at birth in the form of a fragrant flash of red light.<ref name=rmb2/> Mazu was said to have been especially devoted to Guanyin or was even an [[avatar|incarnation]] of Guanyin.{{sfnp|Irwin|1990|p=63}}{{sfnp|Ruitenbeek|1999|p=316}} For her part, Mazu was said to have been entranced by a statue of Guanyin at a temple she visited as a child, after which she became an ardent Buddhist.<ref name=rmb2/>

She is now often said to have studied religious literature,<ref name="crook">{{harvp|Crook|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3YOoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32 32]}}.</ref> mastering [[Confucian classics|Confucius]] by 8 and the principal [[Buddhist sutra]]s by 11.{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} The ''[[Account of the Blessings Revealed by the Princess of Heaven]]'' ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|天妃|顯|聖|錄}}|s={{linktext|天妃|显|圣|录}}|p=Tiānfēi Xiǎnshèng Lù|first=t}}}}) collected by her supposed descendants [[Lin Yaoyu]] ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|林|堯|俞}}|s={{linktext|林|尧|俞}}|p=Lín Yáoyú|first=t}}}}; {{fl.|1589}}) and [[Lin Linchang]] ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|林|麟|焻}}|p=Lín Línchàng}}}}; {{fl.|1670}}) claimed that, while still a girl, she was visited by a Taoist master (elsewhere a [[Buddhist monk]])<ref name=rmb2/> named Xuantong ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|玄|通}}|p=Xuántōng}}}}) who recognized her [[Buddha nature]]. By 13, she had mastered the book of lore he had left her ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|玄|微|袐|法}}|p=Xuánwēi Bìfǎ}}}})<ref name=bolth/> and gained the abilities to [[clairvoyance|see the future]] and [[astral projection|visit places in spirit]] without travel.<ref name=rmb2/> 

She was able to manifest herself at a distance as well and used this power to visit gardens in the surrounding countryside, although she asked owners' permission before gathering any flowers to take home.<ref name=rmb2/> Although she only started swimming at the relatively late age of 15, she soon excelled at it. She was said to have stood on the shore in red garments to guide fishing boats home, regardless of harsh or dangerous weather. She met a [[Taoist immortal]] at a fountain<ref name=rmb2/> at sixteen and received an amulet<ref name=bolth/> or two bronze tablets, which she translated<ref name=rmb2/> or used to [[exorcism|exorcize]] [[Chinese demon|demons]], to heal the sick,{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} and to avert disasters.<ref name=rmb2/> She was said to be a [[rainmaking|rainmaker]] during times of drought.<ref name=crook/>

Mazu's principal legend concerns her saving one or some members of her family, when they were caught offshore during a [[typhoon]], usually when she was 16.<ref name=crook/> It appears in several forms. In one, the women at home feared Lin Yuan and his son were lost but Mazu fell into a [[altered state of consciousness|trance]] while weaving at her [[loom]]. Her spiritual power began to save the men from drowning but her mother roused her, causing her to drop her brother into the sea. The father returned and told the other villagers of the miracle. This version of the story is preserved in murals at [[Fengtin]] in Fujian.{{sfnp|Ruitenbeek|1999|p=316}}  

One variant is that her brothers were saved, but her father was lost.<ref name=crook/> She then spent three days and nights searching for his body before finding it.<ref name=bfw/> Another version is that all the men returned safely.<ref name=crook/> Another is that Mazu was praying to Guanyin; another that she was sleeping and assisting her family through her dream.{{sfnp|Irwin|1990|p=63}} Another is that the boats were crewed by her four brothers and that she saved three of them, securing their boats together, with the eldest lost owing to the interference of her parents, who mistook her trance for a [[seizure]] and woke her.<ref name=bolt/>

In earlier records, Mazu died unmarried at 27 or 28.<ref name=matanc/> Her celibacy was sometimes ascribed to a vow she took after losing her brother at sea.<ref name=bolt/> The date of her passing eventually became the specific date of the [[Double Ninth Festival]] in 987,<ref name=rmb3>{{harvp|Yuan|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=UBHQC_Iz6OMC&pg=PA124 124]}}.</ref> making her 27 by western reckoning and 28 by traditional Chinese dating. She was said to have died in meditation.<ref name=bolt/> In some accounts she did not die, but climbed a mountain alone and ascended into [[Tian|Heaven]] as a goddess<ref name=crook/> in a beam of bright light.<ref name=rmb3/> In others, she died protesting an unwanted betrothal.<ref name=matanc/> Another places her death at age 16, saying she drowned after exhausting herself in a failed attempt to find her lost father, underlining her [[filial piety]].<ref name=bolth/><ref name="crook" /> Her corpse then washed ashore on [[Nangan Island]], which preserves a gravesite said to be hers.

==Myths==
In addition to the legends surrounding her earthly life, Mazu figures in a number of [[Chinese myth]]s:

* In one, the demons [[Qianliyan]] ("Thousand-Mile Eye") and [[Shunfeng'er]] ("Wind-Following Ear") both fell in love with her and she conceded that she would marry the one who defeated her in combat. Using her [[kung fu|martial arts]] skills, however, she subdued them both and, after becoming friends, hired them as her guardian generals.{{sfnp|Ruitenbeek|1999|p=319}}
* In a book of the [[Taoist Canon]] ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|太|上|老君|說|天妃|救|苦|靈|驗|經}}|s={{linktext|太|上|老君|说|天妃|救|苦|灵|验|经}}|p=Tàishàng Lǎojūn Shuō Tiānfēi Jiùkǔ Língyàn Jīng|first=t}}}}), the Jade Woman of Marvelous Deeds ({{nowrap|{{zhi|{{linktext|妙|行|玉|女}}}}}}) is a star from the [[Big Dipper]] brought to earth by [[Laojun]], the divine form of [[Laozi]], to show his compassion for those who might be lost at sea. She is incarnated as Mazu and swears not only to protect sailors but to oversee all facets of life and death, providing help to anyone who might call upon her.<ref name="bolth" />

==Legacy==
===Worship===
{{main|List of Mazu temples}}
{{Quote box
|quote = Dressed in red, she shows her divine power. <br/> In the fourth year of the Xuanhe period of emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, with the cyclical signs ''ren yin'' (1122), the Supervising Secretary Lu Yundi received an order to go on a mission to Korea. On his way through the Eastern Sea, he ran into a hurricane. Of the eight ships, seven were wrecked. Only Lu's ship did not capsize in the turbulent waves. As he prayed ardently to heaven for protection, he saw a goddess appear above the mast. Dressed in red, she was sitting still in a formal manner. Lu kowtowed and begged for protection. In the midst of the seething sea, the wind and waves calmed down suddenly, so that Lu was saved. After he had returned from Korea, he told his story to everyone. The Gentleman who Guards Righteousness, Li Zhen, a man who had visited (Sheng)dun for a long time, told him everything about the merciful manifestations of the holy princess. Lu said: "In this world, it is only my parents who have always shown endless kindness. Yet, when in the course of my vagrant life I almost arrived at the brink of death, not even my father and mother, in spite of their utmost parental love, could help me, while a divine girl, by simply breathing, was able to reach out to me. That day, I truly received the gift of rebirth." When Lu reported on his mission to the court, he memorialized the merciful manifestation of the goddess. He received the order to allow the words "Smooth crossing" to be used on a temple tablet, remit taxes on the temple fields, and make temple offerings at Jiangkou.
|source = — ''Tianfei Xiansheng Lu (early 17th century) about Lu Yundi's encounter with the goddess'' <ref>Translation in {{harvnb|Ruitenbeek|1999|p=283}}.</ref>
|align = right
|width = 400px
|border = 1px
|fontsize = 88%
|bgcolor = #F9F9F9
|qalign = left
|quoted = 
|salign = right
}}
'''Mazuism''' is first attested in [[Huang Gongdu]]'s {{circa|lk=no|1140}} poem "On the Shrine of the Smooth Crossing"<ref name=smooth>{{harvp|Clark|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=126EsR8rpC8C&pg=PA204 204]}}.</ref> ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|順|濟|廟}}|s={{linktext|顺|济|庙}}|p=Shùnjì Miào|first=t}}}}), which considered her a menial and misguided shamaness whose continued influence was inexplicable.<ref name="itsbigitsheavyitswood" /> He notes that her devotees danced and sang together and with their children.<ref name="ddr">{{harvp|Clark|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LgGhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA129 129]}}.</ref> Shortly afterwards, [[Liao Pengfei]] ({{zhi|c=廖鵬飛}})'s 1150 inscription at the village of Ninghai (now [[Qiaodou Village]]) in Putian was more respectful.<ref name=matanc/>{{efn|The inscription, entitled {{zhp|p=Shengdun Zumiao Chongjian Shunji Miao Ji|c=聖頓祖廟重建顺濟廟記}}, is preserved in a [[Li (surname)|Li family]] genealogy ({{zhi|c=百塘李氏族譜|p=Baitang Lishi Zupu}}) and its legitimacy is sometimes questioned.<ref name=itsbigitsheavyitswood/> It was translated in its entirety into English by [[Klaas Ruitenbeek]].{{sfnp|Ruitenbeek|1999|pp=312–5}}}} It states that, "after her death, the people erected a temple for her on her home island"<ref name=matanc/> and that the Temple of the Sacred Mound ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t={{linktext|聖|墩|廟}}|s={{linktext|圣|墩|庙}}|p=Shèngdūn Miào|first=t}}}}) was raised in 1086 after some people in Ninghai saw it glowing, discovered a miraculous old raft<ref name=smooth/> or stump,<ref name=itsbigitsheavyitswood>{{harvp|Clark|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LgGhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA127 127]}}.</ref> and experienced a vision of "the goddess of Meizhou".<ref name=smooth/>{{efn|A similar story later circulated regarding the establishment of the temple at Fengting.<ref name=fengting/>}} 

This structure had been renamed the Smooth Crossing Temple by [[Emperor Huizong of Song]] in 1123 after his envoy [[Lu Yundi]] ({{nowrap|{{zhi|c={{linktext|路|允|迪}}|p=Lù Yǔndí}}}}) was miraculously saved during a storm the year before while on an official mission to pay respects to the court of [[Goryeo]] upon the death of its king, [[Yejong of Goryeo|Yejong]],<ref name=smooth/> and to replace the [[Liao dynasty]] as the formal suzerains investing his successor, [[Injong of Goryeo|Injong]].<ref>{{citation |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=U9rWcNu89kgC&pg=PA81 81] |title=The Perception of Maritime Space in Traditional Chinese Sources |last=Schottenhammer |first=Angela |author2=Roderich Ptak |display-authors=1 |series=''East Asian Economic and Socio-cultural Studies: East Asian Maritime History'', Vol. 2 |publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |date=2006 |location=Wiesbaden }}.</ref>{{efn|The official account of the journey credited the miracle to now-forgotten "[[God of Yanyu]] in [[Fuzhou]]", the deified form of the eldest son of [[Chen Yan (governor)|Chen Yan]], a 9th-century warlord in the region.<ref name=smooth/> However, it's believed that the legendary account of Mazu saving only one of Lu's ships was mistaken and most or all of them survived, with their Fujianese merchant crews crediting their survival to different local deities, including the "Divine Lady" of Ninghai<ref name=shennv/> on Li Zhen's presumably Putianese ship.<ref name=theory>{{harvp|Clark|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=126EsR8rpC8C&pg=PA206 206]}}.</ref> The Yanyu Temple received the title "Manifesting Merit" (''zhaoli'') from the Song court around the same time it honored the Ninghai shrine.<ref name=shennv/>}}

Her worship subsequently spread: [[Li Junfu]]'s early-13th century ''Putian Bishi'' records temples on Meizhou and at Qiaodou, Jiangkou, and Baihu.<ref name=theory/> By 1257, [[Liu Kezhuang]] was noting Putian's "large market towns and small villages all have... shrines to the Princess" and that they had spread to [[Fengting]] to the south.<ref name=fengting>{{harvp|Clark|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=126EsR8rpC8C&pg=PA207 207]}}.</ref> By the end of the Song dynasty, there were at least 31 temples to Mazu,{{sfnp|Shu|1996}} reaching at least as far as [[Shanghai]] in the north and [[Guangzhou]] in the south.<ref name=fengting/>

{{Quote box
|quote = The power of the goddess, having indeed been manifested in previous times, has been abundantly revealed in the present generation. In the midst of the rushing waters it happened that, when there was a hurricane, suddenly a divine lantern was seen shining at the masthead, and as soon as that miraculous light appeared the danger was appeased, so that even in the peril of capsizing one felt reassured and that there was no cause for fear.
|source = — ''Admiral [[Zheng He]] and his associates (Changle inscription, early 15th century) about witnessing the goddess' divine lantern, which represented the natural phenomena [[Saint Elmo's fire]]'' <ref>Translation in {{cite book | last=Needham | first=Joseph|title=Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 3 | year=1959 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=Cambridge | isbn=0-521-05801-5 | page=558 | author-link=Joseph Needham}}</ref>
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As Mazuism spread, it began to absorb the cults of other local shamanesses such as the other two of [[Xianyou]]'s "Three Princesses"<ref name=godschool/> and even some lesser maritime and agricultural gods, including Liu Mian<ref name=fengting/> and Zhang the Heavenly Instructor.<ref name=godschool>{{harvp|Clark|2007|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=126EsR8rpC8C&pg=PA208 208]}}.</ref> By the 12th century, she had already become a guardian to the people of Qiaodou when they suffered drought, flood, epidemic, [[Wokou|piracy]],<ref name=godschool/> or brigandage.{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} She protected women during childbirth<ref name=ddr/> and assisted with [[Conception (biology)|conception]].{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} 

As the patron of the seas, her temples were among the first erected by arriving [[overseas Chinese]], as they gave thanks for their safe passage. Despite his [[Islam in China|Islamic]] upbringing, the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] admiral and explorer Zheng He credited Mazu for protecting one of his journeys, prompting a new title in 1409.<ref name=bolth/> He patronized the Mazu temples of [[Nanjing]] and prevailed upon the [[Yongle Emperor]] to construct the city's [[Tianfei Palace (Nanjing)|Tianfei Palace]]; because of its imperial patronage and prominent location in the empire's southern capital, this was long the largest and highest-status center of Mazuism in China.<ref name=rmb3/>

During the [[Southern Ming]] resistance to the [[Qing dynasty|Qing]], Mazu was credited with helping [[Koxinga]]'s army [[Siege of Fort Zeelandia|capture]] [[Dutch Formosa|Taiwan]] from [[Dutch Empire|the Dutch]]; she was later said to have personally aided some of [[Shi Lang]]'s men in defeating [[Liu Guoxuan]] at [[Battle of Penghu|Penghu]] in 1683, ending the [[Kingdom of Tungning|independent kingdom]] of [[Kingdom of Tungning#Rulers|Koxinga's descendants]] and placing Taiwan under Qing control.<ref name=rmb3/> The Ming prince [[Zhu Shugui]]'s palace was converted into [[Tainan]]'s [[Grand Matsu Temple]], the first to bear her new title of "Heavenly Empress".{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In late imperial China, sailors often carried [[effigy|effigies]] of Mazu to ensure safe crossings.<ref name=crook/> Some boats still carry small shrines on their bows.{{sfnp|Giuffrida|2004}} Mazu charms are also used as medicine, including as salves for blistered feet.{{sfnp|Zhang|1993|p=145}} As late as the 19th century, the Qing government officially credited her divine intervention with their [[Battle of Tamsui|1884 victory]] over the [[French Third Republic|French]] at [[Tamsui District]] during the [[Sino-French War]] and specially honored [[Fuyou Temple|the town's temple to her]], which had served as General [[Sun Kaihua]]'s headquarters during the fighting.<ref name=bfw>{{citation |title=The Battle of Fisherman's Wharf |url=http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk/ |contribution-url=http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk/2009/07/blog-post.html |contribution=翌天昭佑 |date=2009 |location=Hong Kong |publisher=Blogspot |access-date=November 29, 2016 |archive-date=November 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129210245/http://danshuihistory.blogspot.hk/ |url-status=live }}. {{in lang|en}}</ref> When US forces bombed Taiwan during World War II, Mazu was said to intercept bombs and defend the people.<ref>{{cite book|script-title=zh:臺灣歷史地圖 增訂版. |trans-title=Taiwan Historical Maps, Expanded and Revised Edition|date=February 2018|language=zh-tw|publisher=[[National Museum of Taiwan History]]|isbn=978-986-05-5274-4|location=[[Taipei]]|page=43|quote={{lang|zh-tw|馬祖來助戰{...}到了日治末期，美軍密集轟炸臺灣，則流傳馬祖顯靈接炸彈、護佑民眾的故事。}}}}</ref>

Today, Mazuism is practiced in about 1,500 temples in 26 countries around the world, mostly in the [[Sinosphere]] or the [[overseas Chinese]] communities such as that of the predominantly Hokkien [[Philippines]]. Of these temples, almost 1000 are on [[Taiwan]],<ref>{{citation |contribution-url=http://thingstodo.viator.com/taiwan/mazu-matsu-chinese-goddess-of-the-sea/ |contribution=Mazu (Matsu), the Chinese Goddess of the Sea |title=Things to Do |url=http://thingstodo.viator.com/ |publisher=Viator |first=Erin de |last=Santiago |access-date=23 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923080819/http://thingstodo.viator.com/ |archive-date=23 September 2014 }}.</ref> representing a doubling of the 509 temples recorded in 1980 and more than a dozen times the number recorded before 1911.<ref name="bol86" /> These temples are generally registered as Taoist, although some are considered Buddhist.<ref name=bolo/> 

There are more than 90 [[Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong|Mazu Temples in Hong Kong]]. In [[Mainland China]], Mazuism is formally classified as a cult outside of [[Buddhism in China|Buddhism]] and [[Taoism in China|Taoism]], although numerous Buddhist, Confucianist and Taoist temples include shrines to her. Her worship is generally permitted but not encouraged, with most surviving temples concentrated around Putian in Fujian. Including the twenty on Meizhou Island, there are more than a hundred in the prefecture and another 70 elsewhere in the province, mostly in the settlements along its coast. There are more than 40 temples in [[Guangdong]] and [[Hainan]] and more than 30 in [[Zhejiang]] and [[Jiangsu]], but many historical temples are now treated as museums and operated by local parks or cultural agencies.<ref name=":2" /> 

From the early 2000s, pilgrimages from Taiwan to temples in Fujian have been permitted, particularly to the one in [[Yongchun County|Yongchun]], where Taiwan's Xingang Mazu Temple has been allowed to open a branch temple.<ref name=":2" />

A major project to build the world's tallest Mazu statue at [[Tanjung Simpang Mengayau]] in [[Kudat]], [[Borneo]], was officially launched{{When|date=April 2025}} by [[Sabah]]. The statue was to be 10 stories high, but was canceled due to protests from Muslims in Sabah and political interference.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.malaysia-today.net/the-mazu-statue-controversy-should-not-only-be-resolved-at-the-negotiation-table/|title=The Mazu statue controversy should not only be resolved at the negotiation table|author=Lim Kit Siang|publisher=malaysia-today.net|date=December 31, 2007|access-date=2014-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829003135/http://www.malaysia-today.net/the-mazu-statue-controversy-should-not-only-be-resolved-at-the-negotiation-table/|archive-date=August 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Informal centers of pilgrimage for Mazu's believers include Meizhou Island, the [[Dajia Jenn Lann Temple|Zhenlan Temple]] in [[Taichung]] on Taiwan, and Xianliang Temple in Xianliang Harbor, [[Putian]]. Together with Meizhou Island, the Xianliang Temple is considered the most sacred place to Mazu, whose supposed death happened on the seashore of Xianliang Harbor. A ceremony attended by pilgrims from different provinces of China and from Taiwan commemorates this legendary event each year in October.<ref name=":2">{{Citation |last=Chang |first=Hsun |title=13. Multiple Religious and National Identities: Mazu Pilgrimages across the Taiwan Strait after 1987 |date=2017-12-31 |work=Religion and Nationalism in Chinese Societies |pages=373–396 |editor-last=Kuo |editor-first=Cheng-tian |publisher=[[Amsterdam University Press]] |doi=10.1515/9789048535057-015 |isbn=978-90-485-3505-7 |jstor=j.ctt1zkjzkd.17 |doi-access=free |jstor-access=free}}</ref> {{anchor|Birthday|Festival}}

<gallery>
File:Mazu temple in Melbourne - Australia 2010.jpg|A statue of Mazu at the [[Heavenly Queen Temple (Melbourne)|Heavenly Queen Temple]] in [[Footscray, Victoria]].
File:Front view of Beitou Guangdu Temple on 6 September 2016.jpg|[[Guandu Temple]] at [[Beitou District|Beitou]], [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]].
File:MazuTemple.jpg|Tianhou Temple at [[Tianjin]], China. The northernmost Mazu Temple in China.
File:三重義天宮.jpg|[[Sanchong Yi Tian Temple]] at [[Sanchong District]], [[New Taipei]], [[Taiwan]].
File:Thean Hou Temple (18978458805).jpg|[[Thean Hou Temple]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]], Malaysia.
File:成山头 - altar-fountain complex with statues of various Chinese gods in Weihai, Shandong.jpg|A statue of Mazu (''center''), carrying a lantern and ceremonial ''[[Ruyi (scepter)|ruyi]]'', in [[Weihai]].
File:Yokohama Chinatown Ma Ma Temple Halle Innen Altar 09.jpg|[[Yokohama Ma Zu Miao|Yokohama Masobyō (Mazu) Temple]], Inner Altar, in [[Japan]]
</gallery>

=== Pilgrimages ===

The primary [[Miaohui|temple festival]] in Mazuism is Lin Moniang's traditional birthday on the 23rd day of the 3rd month of the Chinese lunar calendar. In Taiwan, there are two major [[pilgrimage]]s made in her honor, the [[Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage]] and the [[Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage]]. In both festivals, pilgrims walk more than 300 kilometers to carry a [[Litter (vehicle)|litter]] containing statues of the goddess between two temples.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mazu Pilgrimage from Zhenlan Temple, Dajia |url=https://www.taiwangods.com/html/landscape_en/1_0011.aspx?i=39 |website=Taiwan Gods |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |access-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423160049/https://www.taiwangods.com/html/landscape_en/1_0011.aspx?i=39 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Baishatun Mazu Foot Pilgrimage |url=https://www.taiwangods.com/html/landscape_en/1_0011.aspx?i=34 |website=Taiwan Gods |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |access-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128071800/https://www.taiwangods.com/html/landscape_en/1_0011.aspx?i=34 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another major festival is that around the [[Tianhou Temple (Lukang)|Tianhou Temple]] in [[Lukang, Changhua|Lukang]].<ref>{{citation |last=Keeling |first=Stephen |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RRwrAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT53 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RRwrAQAAQBAJ |title=The Rough Guide to Taiwan |publisher=Rough Guides |date=2013 |isbn=9781409350613 |contribution=Mazu's Birthday }}.</ref> Depending on the year, Mazu's festival day may fall as early as mid-April or as late as mid-May.<ref>{{citation |location=Hong Kong |publisher=Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |contribution-url=http://www.hko.gov.hk/gts/time/conversion.htm |contribution=Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table |url=http://www.hko.gov.hk/ |title=Hong Kong Observatory |date=2015 |access-date=September 23, 2021 |archive-date=February 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224003313/http://www.hko.gov.hk/ |url-status=live }}.</ref>

The anniversary of her death or supposed ascension into Heaven is also celebrated, usually on the Double Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar).<ref name=bolo/>

==== Use in pro-CCP influence operations ====
{{Further|United front in Taiwan}}
The [[United Front Work Department]] of the [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) has utilized Mazu as a tool to advocate for [[Chinese unification]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fong |first1=Brian C.H. |title=China's influence and the Center-periphery Tug of War in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indo-Pacific |last2=Jieh-min |first2=Wu |last3=Nathan |first3=Andrew J. |date=2020-12-30 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-08843-1 |editor-last=Fong |editor-first=Brian C. H. |edition=1 |location=Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY : Routledge, 2021. |language=en |chapter=China's influence on Taiwan’s religions |doi=10.4324/9781003088431-19 |s2cid=229424691 |editor-last2=Wu |editor-first2=Jieh-min |editor-last3=Nathan |editor-first3=Andrew J.}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=June 15, 2023 |title=China hopes Mazu, a sea goddess, can help it win over Taiwan |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2023/06/15/china-hopes-mazu-a-sea-goddess-can-help-it-win-over-taiwan |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-06-16 |issn=0013-0613 |quote=Officials in Beijing hope Mazu will help them in a different way. The United Front Work Department, the Communist Party branch with the job of boosting China’s influence abroad, views the goddess as a tool to win Taiwanese hearts and minds. Mazu—or Lin Moniang, as she was known before becoming a goddess—hailed from a small fishing village on the island of Meizhou in the province of Fujian. Today worshippers make pilgrimages to her ancestral temple there. That is useful to China, which has been supporting Mazu-related cultural exchanges with Taiwan since the late 1990s. Local offices of the United Front talk openly of using Mazu to "strengthen Taiwan’s patriotic unification force". If they can turn Taiwan’s love of Mazu into love of the motherland, that would make it easier to peacefully bring Taiwan back under the mainland’s rule. |archive-date=June 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615201247/https://www.economist.com/china/2023/06/15/china-hopes-mazu-a-sea-goddess-can-help-it-win-over-taiwan |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=September 19, 2019 |title=China's atheist Communist Party encourages folk religion |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2019/09/19/chinas-atheist-communist-party-encourages-folk-religion |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-06-16 |issn=0013-0613 |quote=In 2011 Mr Xi urged officials to "make full use" of Mazu to woo Taiwanese, most of whom have ancestral ties with the mainland. |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616152424/https://www.economist.com/china/2019/09/19/chinas-atheist-communist-party-encourages-folk-religion |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Groot |first=Gerry |date=2019-09-24 |title=The CCP's Grand United Front abroad |url=https://sinopsis.cz/en/the-ccps-grand-united-front-abroad/ |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Sinopsis |publisher=[[Charles University]] |language=en-US |archive-date=November 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103170211/https://sinopsis.cz/en/the-ccps-grand-united-front-abroad/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-03 |script-title=zh:中共宮廟滲透 媽祖文化也成統戰工具 - 政治 |url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4290300 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=[[Liberty Times]] |language=zh-Hant-TW |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616152423/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4290300 |url-status=live |author1=自由時報電子報 }}</ref> According to academic Chang Kuei-min of [[National Taiwan University]], the CCP has "created a narrative that it is a champion of [[Chinese folk religion]]" and Mazu has become part of that narrative.<ref name=":0" /> In 2011, [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP general secretary]] [[Xi Jinping]] instructed [[Cadre system of the Chinese Communist Party|cadres]] to "make full use" of Mazu for Chinese unification efforts.<ref name=":1" /> Temples in Taiwan, especially in rural areas, have been the most prominent targets for influence operations as they are meeting grounds for prominent local figures, and financial donations to temples remain unregulated.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Pomfret |first1=James |last2=Lee |first2=Yimou |date=December 21, 2023 |title=China wields Mazu 'peace goddess' religion as weapon in Taiwan election |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-wields-peace-goddess-religion-weapon-taiwan-election-2023-12-21/ |access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Tessa |last2=Chang |first2=Joy |date=2023-12-29 |title=The worshippers caught between China and Taiwan |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67779220 |access-date=2023-12-30 |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230175438/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67779220 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 January 2024 |title=China targets Taiwan's temples, Matsu worshippers in influence ops |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/taiwan-goddess-01102024103041.html |access-date=11 January 2024 |work=[[Radio Free Asia]] |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111044835/https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/taiwan-goddess-01102024103041.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[United front (China)|United front]]-linked groups have sponsored paid trips for Taiwanese to visit Mazu-related temples in Fujian.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-05 |title=China funding religious trips: intelligence source |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2025/05/05/2003836345 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=[[Taipei Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sando |first=Benjamin |date=September 2025 |title=Employing Public Records to Uncover CCP United Front Networks in Taiwan's Temples |url=https://globaltaiwan.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/OR_CCPUnitedFrontTemplesFINAL.pdf |access-date=September 27, 2025 |website=Global Taiwan Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-11 |title=中國宮廟來台遶境12天！訪30宮廟「交流」 爆統戰疑慮 |trans-title=Chinese temples come to Taiwan for a 12-day procession! Visits to 30 temples for "exchanges" raise concerns about united front work. |url=https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E5%AE%AE%E5%BB%9F%E4%BE%86%E5%8F%B0%E9%81%B6%E5%A2%8312%E5%A4%A9-%E8%A8%AA30%E5%AE%AE%E5%BB%9F-%E4%BA%A4%E6%B5%81-%E7%88%86%E7%B5%B1%E6%88%B0%E7%96%91%E6%85%AE-041500849.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250512105807/https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E5%AE%AE%E5%BB%9F%E4%BE%86%E5%8F%B0%E9%81%B6%E5%A2%8312%E5%A4%A9-%E8%A8%AA30%E5%AE%AE%E5%BB%9F-%E4%BA%A4%E6%B5%81-%E7%88%86%E7%B5%B1%E6%88%B0%E7%96%91%E6%85%AE-041500849.html |archive-date=2025-05-12 |website=[[Yahoo News]] |language=zh-hant}}</ref>

===In art===
After her death, Mazu was remembered as a young lady who wore a red dress as she roamed over the seas.<ref name=duv38-344>{{harvp|Duyvendak|1938|p=344}}.</ref> In [[idolatry|religious statuary]], she is usually clothed in the attire of an empress, and decorated with accessories such as a ceremonial ''hu'' tablet and a flat-topped imperial cap ({{zhi|c=冕冠|p=mian'guan}}) with rows of beads (''liu'') hanging from the front and back.{{sfnp|Ruitenbeek|1999|p=318}} Her temples are usually protected by the [[menshen|door gods]] {{zhp|p=Qianliyan|c=千里眼}} and {{zhp|p=Shunfeng'er|c=順風耳}}. These vary in appearance but are frequently demons, Qianliyan red with two horns and two yellow sapphire eyes and Shunfeng'er green with one horn and two ruby eyes.{{sfnp|Ruitenbeek|1999|p=319}}

''[[Lin Moniang (series)|Lin Moniang]]'' (2000), a minor Fujianese [[TV series]], was a dramatization of Mazu's life as a mortal. ''[[Mazu (film)|Mazu]]'' ({{nowrap|{{zhi|t=海之傳說媽祖}}}}, 2007) was a Taiwanese animated feature film from the Chinese Cartoon Production Co. depicting her life as a shamaness and goddess. Its production director Teng Chiao admitted the limited appeal to the domestic market: "If young people were our primary target audience, we wouldn't tell the story of Mazu in the first place since they are not necessarily interested in the ancient legend[;] neither do they have loyalty to made-in-Taiwan productions". Instead, "when you look to global markets, the question that foreign buyers always ask is what can best represent Taiwan". ''Mazu'', with its story about "a magic girl and two cute sidekicks [Mazu's door gods Qianliyan and Shunfeng'er] spiced up with a strong local flavor", was instead designed with an intent to appeal to international markets interested in Taiwan.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/ |contribution-url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/07/27/2003371538 |contribution=The Good, the Bad, and the Divine |title=Taipei Times |last=Ho |first=Yi |author-mask=Ho Yi |access-date=December 9, 2005 |archive-date=December 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212014032/http://www.taipeitimes.com/ |url-status=live }}.</ref>

{|
|-
|
| {{multiple image
| perrow            = 3
| total_width       = 480
| image_gap         = 
| caption_align     = center
| align             = right
| image1            = Een schip op volle zee.jpg
| image2            = Een schip op volle zee (Mazu Crop).jpg
| footer            = Detail of an 18th-century painting depicting Mazu during her rescue of the 1123 [[Song dynasty|Song]] embassy to [[Goryeo]] on the high seas, in the [[Rijksmuseum]], [[Netherlands]]
}}
| {{multiple image
| perrow            = 3
| total_width       = 300
| image_gap         = 
| caption_align     = center
| align             = right
| image1            = Golden Mazu of Nanfangao Nantian Temple 南方澳南天宮金媽祖側面 03. 20240830.jpg
| image2            = Jade Mazu of Nanfangao Nantian Temple 南方澳南天宮玉媽祖側面 02. 20240830.jpg
| footer            = Statues of Mazu made of [[Gold]] and [[Jade]] in [[Nantian Temple]], [[Nanfang'ao]], [[Su'ao Township]], [[Yilan County, Taiwan|Yilan County]], [[Taiwan]]
}}
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Taiwan|Hong Kong|Singapore|China|Religion}}
* [[Air pollution in Hong Kong#Joss paper and incense burning]]
* [[List of Mazu temples|List of Mazu temples around the world]]
* [[Dragon King]]
* [[Ngaleima]]
* [[Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong]]
* [[Hung Shing|Hung Shing Ye]] ({{zhi|t=洪聖爺}})
* [[Qianliyan]] & [[Shunfeng'er]]
* [[Meenakshi]]
* [[Kumari (goddess)]]
* [[Queen Mother of the West]]
{{Commons category|Mazu (goddess)}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
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* {{citation |title=Imperial China and Its Southern Neighbors |editor=Victor H. Mair |editor2=Liam C. Kelley |display-editors=0 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |location=Singapore |date=2015 |last=Clark |first=Hugh R. |contribution=What Makes a Chinese God? or, What Makes a God Chinese? |pages=111–139 |isbn= 9789814620536}}.
* {{citation |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3YOoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32 |contribution=Mazu |title=Taiwan |edition=2nd |last=Crook |first=Steven |location=Chalfont St Peter |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |pages=32–33 |editor=Adrian Phillips |display-editors=0 |date=2014 |isbn=9781841624976 }}.
* {{citation | last=Dreyer | first=Edward L. | title=Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405–1433 | year=2007 | publisher=Pearson Longman | location=New York | isbn=9780321084439 | author-link=Edward L. Dreyer }}.
* {{citation |last=Duyvendak |first=Jan Julius Lodewijk |author-link=J.J.L. Duyvendak |date=1938 |contribution=The True Dates of the Chinese Maritime Expeditions in the Early Fifteenth Century |title=T'oung Pao |volume=XXXIV |issue=5 |pages=341–413 |publisher=Brill |doi=10.1163/156853238X00171 |jstor=4527170 }}.
* {{citation |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5cQH17-HnMC&pg=PA857 |contribution=Tianhou |title=Holy People of the World |volume=II |last=Giuffrida |first=Noelle |editor=Phyllis G. Jestice |display-editors=0 |publisher=ABC Clio |location=Santa Barbara |date=2004 |isbn=9781576073551 }}.
* {{citation |first=Lee |last=Irwin |contribution=Divinity and Salvation: The Great Goddesses of China |title=Asian Folklore Studies |volume=49 |issue=1 |date=1990 |pages=53–68 |publisher=Nanzan University |doi=10.2307/1177949|jstor=1177949 }}.
* {{citation |first=Klaas |last=Ruitenbeek |contribution=Mazu, Patroness of Sailors, in Chinese Pictorial Art |title=Artibus Asiae |volume=58 |issue= 3/4 |date=1999 |pages=281–329 |publisher=Artibus Asiae Publishers |doi=10.2307/3250021|jstor=3250021 }}.
* {{citation |last=Shu |first=Tenjun |script-title=ja:媽祖と中國の民間信仰 |title=Massō to Chūgoku no Minken Shinkō |date=1996 |location=Tokyo |publisher=Heika Shuppansha |language=ja |isbn=9784892032745}}.
* {{citation |last=Soo |first=Khin Wah |author-mask=Soo Khin Wah |date=1990 |contribution=The Cult of Mazu in Peninsular Malaysia |pages=29–51 |title=The Preservation and Adaption of Tradition: Studies of Chinese Religious Expression in Southeast Asia |editor=Tan Chee-Beng |display-editors=0 |series=Contributions to Southeast Asian Ethnography |issue=9 |location=Columbus |publisher=[[Ohio State University|OSU]] Department of Anthropology |issn=0217-2992}}.
* {{citation |last=Yuan |first=Haiwang |author-mask=Yuan Haiwang |date=2006 |contribution=Mazu, Mother Goddess of the Sea |title=The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese |series=World Folklore Series |location=[[Westport, Conn.|Westport]] |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UBHQC_Iz6OMC&pg=PA122 |isbn=9781591582946 }}.
* {{citation |last=Zhang |first=Xun |author-mask=Zhang Xun |title=Incense-Offering and Obtaining the Magical Power of Qi: The Mazu (Heavenly Mother) Pilgrimage in Taiwan |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California |type=Thesis, Ph.D. in Anthropology |date=1993 |oclc=31154698}}.
{{Refend}}{{Fujian topics}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazu (Goddess)}}
[[Category:Mazu| ]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from the 10th century]]
[[Category:Bodhisattvas]]
[[Category:Buddhism in China]]
[[Category:Confucianism in China]]
[[Category:Taoism in China]]
[[Category:Deities in Chinese folk religion]]
[[Category:Buddhist goddesses]]
[[Category:Chinese goddesses]]
[[Category:Mother goddesses]]
[[Category:Sea and river goddesses]]
[[Category:Taoist deities]]
[[Category:Folk saints]]
[[Category:Investiture of the Gods characters]]
[[Category:Journey to the West characters]]
[[Category:Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]]
[[Category:Tutelary goddesses]]
[[Category:Deified Chinese women]]
[[Category:Taoism in Guangdong]]