Meizhou Mazu Birthday Ceremony

Background

Mazu's real name was Lin Mo. Tradition holds that she was born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month in 960, the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song dynasty, and was said to foresee the weather at sea and rescue people in distress on the water; after her death coastal communities revered her as a protector of the sea. The Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple was first built in 987, the fourth year of the Yongxi era of the Northern Song dynasty, and is recognised as the earliest Mazu temple in the world. Every year around Mazu's birthday, the ancestral temple holds ceremonies and Mazu processions, attended by worshippers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere, with local music and traditional dances. On ordinary days the temple holds morning worship and chanting every morning, which requires advance booking. The island also has the Lingnu Shrine, the ascension relics, and a stone statue of Mazu about 14 metres tall, and the boat trip to the island offers fine sea views.

Local customs

• Watch the ancestral temple ceremonies and Mazu processions
• book a place at the morning worship and chanting
• visit the Lingnu Shrine and the ascension relics
• climb up to the Mazu stone statue
• take the boat to the island and enjoy the island scenery

Travel tips

• Mazu's birthday falls on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, and the ceremonies and processions usually take place over several days around it
• the exact schedule is subject to the ancestral temple's announcement. To reach Meizhou Island, take a boat from Wenjia Pier in Putian
• the island is crowded around the birthday, so book in advance and allow time for queues. Boat fares and ticket prices are subject to official announcement.

2027 schedule

• In 2027 the 23rd day of the third lunar month falls on April 29, and the ceremonies are usually held around that day
• the exact schedule is pending the ancestral temple's announcement.