Meizhou Mazu Temple

Virtuous Good Love

Brief introduction of ancestral Temple

Meizhou Mazu Temple, commonly known as Zu Temple, is mainly dedicated to Heaven Hou Mazu, located in Gongxia Village in the north of Meizhou Island. It is the first Matsu temple in the world. It has the supreme position and influence in the world Mazu cultural phenomenon. It is also the oldest Mazu temple. According to Putian County Chronicles, Lin Mo "feathered ascending to heaven" in the same year, Yongxi four years (987) people set up Xianling Temple in Meizhou Island. This temple of virtuous women is the predecessor of the ancestral temple. As of March 2024, the ancestral Temple has nearly 10,000 spiritual temples in 50 countries and regions around the world, with more than 300 million worshippers of Mazu. Inherited by master and apprentice, most of the buildings of the ancestral temple were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. After the reform and opening up, the state reaffirmed its policy. In 1978, Lin Congzhi led a group of people to repair the ancestral temple, and the management of the ancestral temple began to improve. In 1986, the first leading body of the board of directors of Meizhou Mazu Temple was established. Lin Wenhao served as chairman and Lin Congzhi served as executive chairman; in September 1997, Lin Jinbang was appointed chairman of the second board of directors, which was later finalized as a new term every five years. On March 15, 2018, the first general meeting of the sixth board of directors was held. Lin Jinbang, who has been going forward for 21 years, retired with honor; Lin Jinzan, who has been ploughing the ancestral temple for 30 years, was appointed the new chairman. In order to coordinate the relationship between the ancestral temple and the government, and to do a good job in the management of scenic spots, the Meizhou Mazu Temple Scenic area Management Office was established in 1997, which belongs to the Meizhou Island National Tourism Resort Management Committee and is one of the three types of national institutions; but its members are basically board members. So far, the Mazu Temple in Meizhou has adopted a set of teams and two signs to promote Mazu culture. The western axis of Meizhou Mazu Temple is composed of the Great Archway, the Mountain Gate, the Holy will Gate, the Holy parents' Temple, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Prince Hall, the Tien Hou Palace, the Chaotian Pavilion, and the Shengtian Tower, which is the main carrier of Mazu belief in the ancestral temple. every year, millions of devout believers set foot on this sacred place to pay homage to their ancestors. The newly built temple complex on the southern axis is a five-style imitation of the Song Dynasty, which is composed of the Great Archway, the Mountain Gate, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Tin Hou Hall, the Lingci Hall, the Shunji Hall, and the Mazu Culture Exhibition Hall. Among them, the Tien Hou Hall is 19 meters high, 50 meters wide, 30 meters deep and covers an area of 987 meters. It can hold thousands of people to worship at the same time, offering the 8-meter-high statue of Mazu, accompanied by Chen Jinggu, the goddess for the protection of women and children, Qian Si Niang, a female hero who built Mulanpi, a famous water conservancy project in the Song Dynasty, and navigator Zheng he, and General Shi Lang, who recaptured Taiwan. The Tin Hau Square in front of the hall covers an area of more than 10000 square meters. It is the place for grand activities in the ancestral temple. There is also a large stage with a height of 26.5m. The viewing platform and corridors on both sides can hold 10,000 spectators. The mountain gate archway with a height of 19 meters and a width of 33 meters is one of the rare majestic archways in China. The 14.35-meter-high stone statue of Mazu at the top of the ancestral temple has become a landmark of Meizhou Island. The newly built wooden plank road behind the ancestral temple is praised by pilgrims and tourists for its unique viewing perspective. Because of the remarkable signs of Mazu and the increasing number of believers, the belief in Mazu spread from the folk to the government court and was recognized by scholars, farmers, industry and commerce. The ancestral temple was continuously "expanded" by Mazu believers such as merchants Sanbao. By the reign of Tiansheng in the Song Dynasty (1023-1032), the "promenade benefit increased towering" and had begun to take shape. In the Yuan Dynasty, the ancestral temple was further expanded, and the temple was "magnificent" and "the pavilion was wanton". During the Ming Dynasty, the Mazu Temple expanded even more. In the seventh year of Hongwu (AD 1274), Zhou Zi, commander of Quanzhou Wei, presided over the reconstruction of dormitory hall, incense pavilion, drum tower and mountain gate. In the early years of Yongle (AD 1403), when Zheng he was on a voyage to the West, due to the protection of Mazu, he sent officials to renovate the temple. In the sixth year of Xuande (AD 1431), before Zheng he's last voyage to the West, he personally prepared wood and stone with local officials to repair the ancestral temple again, so that "Meizhou scenery is better than Penglai". In the Qing Dynasty, in the 22nd year of Emperor Kangxi (1683 AD), Fujian Governor Yao Qisheng rebuilt the Bell and Drum Tower and the Mountain Gate. In 1684, Shi Lang of Jinghai Hou built more dressing towers, Chaotian Pavilion, Buddhist temples and monasteries. Then the ancestral temple built Guanyin Hall, Zhongjun Hall, Land Temple and so on. After Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, the Mazu Temple in Meizhou has become quite large-scale, with 16 halls, pavilions and 99 guest houses. The whole building complex is built according to the mountain, carved beams and paintings, majestic and magnificent, and is known as the "Dragon Palace on the Sea". The Matsu Temple complex unfolded in front of us today has been rebuilt since the 1980s, according to the principle of "still repairing the old." Matsu believers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have made concerted efforts to donate materials and funds for reconstruction. By 1994, the west axis of Zumiao had been completed. Construction of the southern axis began in 1998 and was completed in 2002. Today, the Mazu Temple in Meizhou, with an unprecedented majestic figure, stands on the shore of the Taiwan Strait, not only showing brilliance, but also more magnificent. In October 1992, Meizhou Island was rated as a national tourist resort. In May 2006, the "Mazu ceremony" of Mazu Temple and ancestral Temple was listed by the State Council as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units and the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

Honor of ancestral Temple

With the continuous efforts of all the staff of the board of directors of Zumiao, and with the strong support of government units at all levels, Zumiao has won many honors all over the world, the whole country, as well as provinces and cities. Among them:

world-class:

world intangible culture "Mazu belief and Custom" Heritage site (2009)

World Festival City (2011)

National key Cultural relics Protection Unit (2006)

National Civilization Unit (2009 / 2011 / 2011) / 2017 / 2020)

National Intangible Cultural Heritage "Meizhou Mazu Temple Mazu ceremony" (2006)

Cross-Strait Exchange Base (2010)

overseas Chinese International Culture Exchange Base (2015)

Provincial:

provincial Garden Unit (2002)

Provincial Civilization Unit (2003)

Provincial Youth Civilization (2003)