Mazu, also known as Tianfei, Tianhou, Tianhou Madonna, and Niangma, is a deity believed in by seafarers, sailors, travelers, merchants and fishermen throughout the ages. In ancient times, when sailing on the sea, before the ship set sail, one would first worship Mazu, pray for good winds and safety, and set up a shrine to Mazu on the ship. Mazu's status as a full-time sea god was officially established after she was granted the title of Tianfei in the Yuan Dynasty, and she was granted the title of Queen of Heaven after the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. In the past dynasties, canonization was carried out based on the needs of political governance or the economic purpose of maritime transportation and trade. With the development of overseas transportation in Fujian and the spread of overseas immigrants, Mazu belief has spread throughout the country and abroad. Ascended to heaven and became a god because Lin Mo saved the world and helped people, he was granted a title by the court. The people along the coast respected him as the god of the sea and built temples to worship him. Later, due to her extraordinary supernatural powers, she repeatedly appeared on the sea, and everyone who crossed the sea prayed for her. She was revered as the Holy Mother in Heaven, and temples were built all over the sea. Mazu belief has gone through more than 1,000 years since its birth. It was first a folk belief, then became a Taoist belief, and finally became an object of national sacrifice in all dynasties. It has lasted for a long time, spread widely, and has a deep influence that other folk beliefs have never had. Yes, it's incredible. The respect and praise of emperors in the past dynasties have elevated Mazu from a folk god to an official patron saint of navigation. Her deity has become higher and higher, and her spread has become wider and wider. From Putian to Quanzhou, and then to all corners of the country, it has reached the point where no one knows it and no god can replace it. Speaking of Mazu's manifestation, it began in 1122 (the fourth year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty) when Lu Yundi went to Korea as an envoy. After feeling the magical power, he made a memorial. A temple was built at the mouth of the river to worship him, and (Huizong) granted Shunji a temple quota. Later, the reasons for Mazu's title were "the god of fog and spring, the god of spring and hunger", and "the god helped the fire to burn the strong bandits" ("Meizhou Island Chronicles, Volume 2, Title"). Yuan Feng Tianfei established Mazu's position as Poseidon. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Shi Lang asked for the title of Queen of Heaven after regaining Taiwan. From 1156 (the twenty-sixth year of Shaoxing, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty) to the Qing Dynasty, emperors of all dynasties have conferred titles 36 times, with titles ranging from 2 to 64 characters. The titles ranged from madam, concubine, and imperial concubine (in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty) to the imperial concubine. In 1684 (the 23rd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty), she was granted the title of Heavenly Empress and was included in the national sacrificial ceremony for Spring and Autumn sacrifices. The religion she belonged to was Taoism. In the Song Dynasty, Mazu protected the country and the people, in the Yuan Dynasty she protected the Thai water transport and maritime transport, in the Ming Dynasty she was an envoy to the oceans, and in the Qing Dynasty she assisted in establishing Taiwan. In modern times, she became the goddess of the united front across the Taiwan Straits. The longest title given by Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty? Protecting the country and sheltering the people, the wonderful spirit Zhaoying Hongren, Puji, blessing all living beings, the sincerity of Xianfu, the manifestation of God, the praise of Shunchui, the kindness, the blessing of Anlan, the good luck, Tan Haiyu, Tianbo, Xuanhui, diversion, Yanqing, Jingyang, Xizhien Later, in the 11th year of Tongzhi (1872), when it was time to add another title, after review by the Ministry of Rites, it was considered that there were too many titles and the title was not solemn enough, so all the characters were added after the title. Plus the word "Jiayou". The spread of Mazu's becoming a god is related to the developed overseas transportation in ancient Fujian, and spread at home and abroad with the prosperous overseas transportation, trade and immigration. Mazu was born on Meizhou Island, Putian, Fujian. Regarding Mazu, the earliest historical record can be found in "Reconstruction of Shunji Temple at Shengdun Ancestral Temple" written by Liao Pengfei in the 20th year of the Southern Song Dynasty in Shaoxing. Mazu, whose surname is Lin, is from Meizhou Island and can predict disasters and blessings. Mazu was born in a family of officials and is a descendant of the Lin family of Putian, a prominent family in Fujian. Her original name was Lin Mo. Her Mazu father was Lin Yuan and her mother was Wang. Both of them did good deeds and accumulated virtue. Mazu is a descendant of the Jiumu Lin family, a prominent family in Putian. Mazu's great-grandfather Lin Baoji joined the Northern Song Dynasty army, and Lin Baoji participated in the combat command. Mazu's grandfather Lin Fu, Mazu's father Lin Yuan. One night, Ms. Wang dreamed that Master Guanyin spoke to her lovingly: "You are suffering from infertility. I will give you a pill. If you take it, you will receive Tzu Chi's gift." ?So Mazu’s mother, Wang, became pregnant. When Mrs. Wang was giving birth, she saw a red light shining into the room from the northwest. The brilliance was dazzling and the fragrance lingered for a long time. Then I heard rumbling sounds all around, like the roar of spring thunder, and the ground turned purple. Wang felt a vibration in her belly, and Mazu was born. Because he was born strangely, he loved him very much. She never cried a word from birth until she was one month old, so her father named her "Mo". When I was young, I was meditating at home one day and reading poetry and books. I happened to see a strange Taoist passing by the door. I had an epiphany in my heart, worshiped him as my teacher, and learned the "Xuanwei True Dharma". Therefore, when you grow up, you can understand the secret method and predict your faults. If the villagers complain about illness, they will be confused. ?These are all sayings that she has supernatural powers. She is a Taoist as a teenager, good at divination, good at medicine, and solves the problems of the people. These characteristics are even more prominent for Mazu as an adult. She is determined to help all living beings and is determined not to marry. In the end, her parents also They all complied with her wishes, allowing her to concentrate more on her charity work. Because she studied medicine diligently, often treated people's illnesses, and taught people how to prevent epidemics and eliminate disasters, she won everyone's admiration and respect, and everyone praised her merits. Lin Mo has always been gentle and helpful. He solves problems for neighbors and fellow villagers without expecting anything in return, and often guides people to seek good fortune, avoid disaster, and prevent shipwrecks. When people in the neighborhood encountered difficulties, they were willing to discuss it with her and ask for help. Over time, the story of Lin Mo's benevolence and righteousness gradually spread. Lin Mo, who grew up on the coast of the sea, is also familiar with astronomy and water properties. There are many rocks in the strait between Meizhou Island and the mainland. Fishing boats and merchant ships in distress in this sea area are often rescued by Lin Mo, so people say that she can cross the sea on a seat. She can also predict good and bad luck, and will inform the boat owners in advance whether they can sail. Therefore, it is said that she can "predict good and bad things", and she is called "Goddess" and "Dragon Girl". In 987 (the ninth day of September in the fourth year of Emperor Yongxi's reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty), Lin Mo, who was only twenty-eight years old, became immortal and ascended to the throne.
On this day, people on Meizhou Island saw Mazu and her sisters ascending to the top of Meifeng Peak. After bidding farewell to their relatives, they rode the long wind and auspicious clouds alone, soaring in the bright sky. Suddenly, they saw colorful clouds covering the sky, and no one could see them. See you again. Since then, sailors often see Lin Mo flying on the sea in red clothes, rescuing people who are in distress and calling for help. Therefore, it is gradually common for Mazu statues to be enshrined on ships to pray for safe and smooth sailing. The people of Mazu village felt the kindness of her in curing diseases and saving people, so they built a temple on Meizhou Island to worship her in the same year (987). This is the Meizhou Mazu Temple (Taoist Temple). The ancestral temple was expanded from 1023 to 1032 AD (the Tiansheng period) and became more and more majestic. In August 1278, Yichou, Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty established the title of Concubine Mazu, Protecting the Country, Minghui, Xianshan, Qingxianji, Tianfei, which consolidated Mazu's status as a full-time sea god and conferred the title of deity in Quanzhou. From 1403 to 1424 (the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty), the navigator Zheng He came to Meiyu twice on orders to preside over royal sacrifice ceremonies and expand temples. By the time of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the "Dragon Palace on the Sea" with five groups of buildings had been formed. After the reform and opening up, the Meizhou Ancestral Temple underwent a lot of restoration and construction work, and invested more than 100 million yuan to build the new Mazu Hall. The new hall is so majestic that it is known as the "Potala Palace on the Sea" by the world. Meizhou Mazu Temple is the ancestral temple of more than 4,000 Mazu temples in more than 20 countries and regions in the world. Throughout the year, millions of domestic and foreign pilgrims come to Mazu Temple for pilgrimage. Every year on Mazu’s birthday on the 23rd day of the third lunar month and Mazu’s ascension day on the ninth day of September, people on the island hold various activities to honor Mazu. After thousands of years of spread of spirits, as believers went abroad, Mazu gradually moved from Meizhou to the world, becoming an international deity that transcended national boundaries and had a significant impact on East Asian maritime culture and China's coastal culture. According to scholars It is called Mazu culture. Reasons for communication: As an ancient folk deity, why is Mazu’s spirit recognized, praised and revered by so many people at home and abroad and around the world? An important reason here is that Mazu embodies the traditional virtues and lofty spiritual realm of the Chinese nation. As a folk fisherman, Mazu is kind and upright, acts bravely when she sees justice, helps the poor, rescues people in danger, benefits the people, and protects the safe navigation of Chinese and foreign merchant ships. All these are countless meritorious deeds, so she is deeply respected by the people. Mazu has done many good deeds that benefit the people, so she is respected and worshiped by many people at home and abroad. Putian is the hometown of immigrants. Putian imprints such as "Putian Old Home" and "Puyang Lineage" can still be seen on the plaques on the gates of Chaoshan folk houses. There are more than 90 ancestors of Qiong in Hainan, with the largest number coming from Putian. Putian's cultural atmosphere of advocating virtue and adhering to the traditions of the hometown has influenced these immigrants. Coupled with a strong nostalgia for their hometown, the worship of Mazu from their hometown naturally followed these immigrants to all over the country and overseas. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou was one of the largest trading ports in the world. In order to develop maritime trade, the Yuan government introduced Mazu to Quanzhou Port, where overseas transportation and trade was prosperous, and became the Quanzhou Poseidon. Due to the development of water transportation and overseas transportation, Mazu became a national Poseidon. And spread far and wide overseas. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a large number of people from Fujian went to Southeast Asia and crossed to Taiwan in order to make a living. Mazu belief also spread more widely overseas with the footprints of merchants and immigrants.