Legend of Mazu Mazu was born in Putian, Fujian

In the golden autumn of October, we came to Ligang Village in Putian, Fujian, also known as Xianliang Port. The village is surrounded by mountains and sea, and is solemn and peaceful. Because of a goddess-like figure, Mazu, it has become a popular place for tourists. On the west side of Lin Meimei Village where she rejuvenated her life, in front of an ordinary house with Putian residential characteristics, a large banyan tree has gone through many vicissitudes of life. It seems to tell people that in the first year of Jianlong in the Northern Song Dynasty, a baby girl was born here on March 23 of the lunar calendar. She didn't cry and was silent for months, so her parents named her Maureen. Walking into the old Lin family house rebuilt on the original site, it is not large in area and has three entrances, inside and outside. There is a hall in the middle and rooms on both sides. The upper room on the left is where Molin's parents live, the lower room is where my aunt lives, and the room opposite my aunt is Molin's boudoir. Has a sibling in Moline. Originally, my parents asked Guanyin to send their children, but Mother Lin dreamed at night that Guanyin gave me a beautiful flower in a bowl, saying that if I swallowed it, I would be surprised. As a result, I gave birth to a "Sister Lin" who did not cry. But Sister Lin didn't speak. When she spoke, she seemed smart and well-behaved. Entered the school at the age of eight, read and recited. He likes medicine, is proficient in knowledge, travels in the countryside, is anxious for people's needs, treats illnesses and saves people, and soon becomes the parents of famous girls in eight villages across ten miles. The commentator Xiao Lin told Sister Lin's stories and legends vividly and vividly, and even held gestures in his hands, making us laugh from time to time. She took us to a room and said it was Lin Xiaomei’s knitting room. She is smart and versatile. Legend has it that while she was knitting, she was also concerned about the safety of her relatives at sea. Once, she closed her eyes, held the shuttle in her mouth, and grasped the loom with both hands; at this time, her mother came in and patted her. When she opened her eyes, the shuttle was - falling to the ground. It turned out that Sister Lin was trying to rescue her father and brother who were in danger. Unexpectedly, when her mother was patting her, the shuttle fell down and her brother fell into the sea. The ancestral hall of the Queen Mother of the Sea became the goddess of the sea. Not far to the east of her former residence, there was originally the Lin Ancestral Hall, dedicated to Lin's ancestors. The Lin family can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Mo Lin's great-grandfather, Lin Baoji, served as the commander of the army in the later weeks, then resigned and returned to his hometown to live in seclusion. My grandfather and father were also local officials. On the wall of the ancestral hall hangs a series of inheritance tables of dozens of generations of the Lin family. The sea is unfathomable, the wind and waves are ruthless, and fishermen often encounter dangers when they go to sea. The young Maureen is good at water skills and can sail a boat like flying, and he volunteers to take on the task of sea rescue. Wherever there are cries for help, there is a woman on the sea, and countless fishermen have been saved by her. Legend has it that one time, it was dark, the wind was blowing very hard, and the black waves were rough, and the ships at sea could not enter the port. After hearing the news, Miss Lin set fire to her house and let the raging fire guide the ship. During a sea rescue, the heroine was killed. When the news came, the villagers were heartbroken and no one believed that she was really gone. . They prefer to believe that the 28-year-old Maureen ascended to heaven and became the god of the sea. Mazu, the goddess, has been praised by people from Putian to Fujian, to the coast of China and overseas for thousands of years. So far, more than 6,000 temples in 28 countries and regions are dedicated to her! From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, emperors praised her 36 times, from madam to concubine, from queen of heaven to our queen of heaven. Every spring on Mazu’s birthday, a sacrificial ceremony is held at Xianliang Port. In recent years, tens of thousands of believers have attended, which is unprecedented. The custom of "Mazu returning to her natal family", together with other Mazu beliefs and customs, has been included in the United Nations World Intangible Cultural Heritage! With the improvement of Mazu's status, the Lin family's ancestral hall was renamed Tianhou Palace. The back hall is still dedicated to Lin's ancestors, and the front hall is dedicated to Mazu. Xiao Lin pointed to the Mazu statue in the front hall and said that it was a statue from the Song Dynasty. Its appearance is similar to that of a real person. No matter what the emperor's title is

The banner reads "The Origin of Mazu Culture" and also reads "Taichung City Community Planning and Cultural Creation Society". They said that in Taiwan Province, Mazu believers account for two-thirds of the total. They carry the statue of Mazu every year during worship, and hundreds of thousands of people follow for several days, regardless of party, age, gender, and even the chairman of the Kuomintang, otherwise they will not vote for him. They were very happy to find their roots in Mazu’s hometown and invited us to participate in their sacrificial activities and academic exchanges in Taiwan Province. Between the ancestral hall and the former residence, a new Thean Hou Temple covering an area of ??2,000 square meters is unique in the village. Its story is quite legendary: Ms. Huang Xiuqing, an Indonesian overseas Chinese, dreamed of Mazu at night. Mazu said that her old house was very simple and needed Help. After Huang Xiuqing went there, she found that Xianliang Port was similar to her dream, so she donated 2.42 million yuan. The 6.06-meter-high Mazu statue in Tianhou Palace carved from nanmu was also donated by Ms. Huang. Mazu has become the spiritual link between both sides of the Taiwan Strait and overseas Chinese! Practicing Iya Daien Daiai climbs up the back mountain along a path. There is a tall statue of Mazu standing on the mountain, facing the sea, dignified and holy, still looking like a young woman. The luminous pearl held in his right hand slants against the setting sun, to illuminate the way home for the lost fishermen. Looking closely at Mazu's dress and behavior, it seems that Guanyin descended to earth. I would ask my colleague Lin, who is the chairman of the ancestral hall’s board of directors. His answer is very interesting: Guanyin is Mazu’s master! Oh, what a clever imagination. The trajectory of a daughter from a fishing village becoming a sea god is very clear: Guanyin sends her daughter back to youth, saves her life at sea, and ascends to heaven to become a disciple. Standing on the mountain, you can see Meizhou Island across the strait, where Mazu ascended to heaven. I have been there a few years ago. The Mazu Temple there is very prosperous and there are throngs of pilgrims from Taiwan Province. Teacher Chen Tianyu, who has been accompanying us all the time, is an expert on Mazu culture from Putian University. He said that Mazu was one of the few people who believed in the unity of man and God.

She has both a real and intimate side and an imaginary perfect side, which is why her influence is so profound and lasting. When we said goodbye to Xianliang Port, we learned that Chairman Lin and commentator Xiao Lin were both volunteers. Lin was originally in the lumber business, but he gave it up a few years ago. After returning, he concentrated on providing management services without receiving any compensation. Xiao Lin is a "white-collar worker" in a company, and he volunteers to be a translator. There are many volunteers like Lao Lin Xiaolin in Xianliang Port, and there were hundreds of volunteers during the big sacrifice. The villagers in Lianggang regard themselves as the descendants of Mazu's eldest brother and call Mazu "aunt". They willingly guard this sacred land and practice the great kindness and love of their aunt.