Mazu of Meizhou: A Sea Goddess and the Communities Who Remember Her
The tradition of Mazu connects a rescue story on Meizhou Island with temple ritual and maritime communities far beyond Putian.
Meizhou Island
Meizhou is a place of pilgrimage as well as an inhabited coastal island. Stories of Mazu, ceremonies at the ancestral temple and the work of local temple communities connect it to ports and neighbourhoods far beyond Fujian. UNESCO recognition concerns Mazu belief and customs, not a World Heritage inscription of the whole island.
Meizhou Island
Meizhou Pilgrimage: The Work of Returning to an Ancestral Temple
Behind a procession on Meizhou Island are temple relationships, practiced roles, shared food and the organisation that makes a pilgrimage possible.
ReadPhoto credits and rights
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The shore at Xiashan village on Meizhou Island.Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism / Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development · unknown Photo source ↗ Original aspect ratio retained. Display copies resized only when needed; no enlargement, crop or retouching.
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Beach and visitor buildings at Xiashan, Meizhou Island.福建省文化和旅游厅 / 福建省住房和城乡建设厅 · Rights status unspecified Photo source ↗ Original aspect ratio retained. Display copies resized only when needed; no enlargement, crop or retouching.
