The Mazu 妈祖 Heavenly Holy Mother

Mazu, also known as "Heavenly Holy Mother", "Queen of Heaven", "Empress Dowager", "Celestial Consort", "Madam Celestial Consort", "Meizhou Mother" and so on, is a Taoist goddess and a navigation patron saint worshipped in China's southeast coast, Taiwan, Ryukyu and other regions.

According to legend, Mazu's secular surname was Lin. She was born on Meizhou Island, Putian County, Xinghua Army, Fujian Province during the Song Dynasty. Since she didn't cry or make noise when she was born, she was named "Mo" (meaning "silent"), with the nickname "Moniang", hence she is also called "Lin Moniang".

In her childhood, Moniang was smarter and more insightful than her other sisters. She started school at the age of eight, and could not only recite what she had read at a glance but also understand the meaning of the texts. When she grew up, she was determined to spend her life doing good deeds and helping others, vowing never to marry, and her parents complied with her wish. She devoted herself to charitable and public welfare undertakings. She usually studied medical theory carefully, treated diseases for people, and taught them to prevent epidemics and eliminate disasters, so people all praised her. She had a gentle temperament and was eager to help others. As long as she could resolve disputes for the villagers, she was willing to do it, and she often guided people to avoid misfortune and seek good luck. When people encountered difficulties, they were also willing to discuss with her and ask for her help.

Growing up on the seashore, Moniang also had a thorough knowledge of astronomy and meteorology and was familiar with water properties. There are many reefs in the strait between Meizhou Island and the mainland. Fishing boats and merchant ships that were shipwrecked in this sea area often received help from Moniang, so people legend that she could "cross the sea on a mat". She could also predict weather changes and tell shipowners in advance whether they could set sail, so it was also said that she could "predict good and bad luck", and she was called "Goddess" and "Dragon Girl".

In the fourth year of Yongxi in the Song Dynasty (987), on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Moniang passed away at the age of 28. On that day, people on Meizhou Island said that they saw a colorful cloud rising slowly on Meifeng Mountain, and vaguely heard pleasant music in the air... Since then, sailors also legend that they often saw Lin Mo flying over the sea in red clothes to rescue those in distress. Therefore, Mazu statues were gradually widely enshrined on sea-going ships to pray for safe and smooth voyages.

Mazu has been worshipped in temples since the Northern Song Dynasty. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, when Zheng He went to the Western Seas, it was a peak period for the spread of Mazu belief overseas. In addition, with the continuous large-scale overseas migration of Chinese, Mazu temples can be seen in many Chinatowns (especially in coastal areas), such as Mazu temples in Nagasaki and Yokohama, Japan, the Tianhou Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Longtian Palace in the Philippines, and even in Europe and the Americas.

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, Mazu was canonized as "Heavenly Holy Mother", and she was further deified. The spread of Mazu belief became wider and deeper. Mazu's influence spread from Meizhou, Fujian, and after thousands of years, it has had a significant impact on the coastal culture of the Chinese people, which scholars call "Mazu Culture".