The Mazu Palace and Temple on both sides of the strait joined hands to promote the living inheritance of "Mazu beliefs and customs."

Meizhou Island, Fujian, 9 Sep (ZXS) -- Title: Mazu Palace and Temple on both sides of the strait join hands to promote the living inheritance of "Mazu beliefs and customs."

Written by Ye Qiuyun

"Taiwan is a dense area of Mazu faith and an important inheritance base." On the 17th, Lin Jinbang, the national representative inheritor of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage "Mazu Festival" and honorary chairman of the board of directors of Mazu Temple in Meizhou, Putian City, Fujian Province, said in an interview with China News Agency.

A few days ago, the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Fujian to Explore a New Path for Cross-Strait Integrated Development and Build a Cross-Strait Integrated Development Demonstration Zone" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions") were released. It has aroused heated discussions in the Mazu Palace Temple on both sides of the strait.

The "Opinions" pointed out that it is necessary to support the Mazu Palace Temple in Fujian and Taiwan to jointly carry out the protection action of "Mazu Beliefs and Customs", a representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity, and share the results of protection. Promote the application of red brick buildings and Mazu cultural and historical sites in southern Fujian on both sides of the strait as world cultural heritage.

In 960 AD, a woman named Lin Mo was born on Meizhou Island, Putian City, Fujian Province, and is famous for her legend of helping the poor and helping shipwrecks. For thousands of years, Mazu culture has spread all over the world. In September 2009, "Mazu Beliefs and Customs" was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming China's first world "Intangible Cultural Heritage" in the category of beliefs and customs.

Shi Zhikun, a member of the Ganghai An Palace in Sanjiao Town, Tainan, Taiwan, said that the two sides of the strait can take local beliefs and local folk customs as the starting point to jointly protect and inherit the "Mazu beliefs and customs."

According to Shi Zhikun, Hai'an Palace was built in the Qing Dynasty and located next to Wujo Port, the capital city of Taiwan at that time. Wujo Port is the most lively port in Taiwan's capital city, with close ties with Xiamen Port, and its beliefs and folk culture are the same as Xiamen. Therefore, Mazu cultural exchange activities are often carried out between Haian Palace and Chaozong Palace located in Shapowei, Xiamen.

Referring to the relationship with Taiwan's Tainan Palace Temple, Lin Zhaozhi, director of the Management Committee of Xiamen Chaozong Palace, said that the close relationship between Chaozong Palace and Tainan Palace Temple originated in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. During the 100 years during the Qing dynasty, Xiamen Port and Tainan Luermen Port were officially designated as the only cross-strait ferry ports, and all officials, merchants, and people who went to Taiwan boarded ships and set sail for Taiwan after paying homage to Mazu in the Chaozong Palace. There is also a corresponding etiquette for returning from Taiwan.

Lin Zhaozhi told reporters that the "Opinions" has a lot of ink on Mazu culture, which shows its importance. The Chaozong Palace will give play to its own advantages, deeply explore the historical origin and culture of the "only cross-strait ferry port", continue to do a good job in the common life etiquette of the two sides of the strait, "seven mothers are born to be 16 years old" (including "worship qi"), and carry out cross-strait religious and custom festival ceremonies and cultural exchanges at the head of the strait.

On August 8, young people at home and abroad experienced the Minnan version of the coming-of-age ceremony - "Qiniang mother is born to be sixteen years old" at the Chaozong Palace in Xiamen. Photo by China News Agency reporter Lu Ming

Shi Zhikun said frankly that through cross-strait exchanges, the next generation can further understand the history of the spread of gods and folk culture brought by the ancestors crossing Taiwan.

Wang Shuhua, a volunteer at the Meizhou Mazu Temple from Taiwan, said that Mazu culture has become a spiritual bond that maintains cross-strait family affection. At present, she is preparing with her husband Rao Ruihe for the 2023 Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to escort Meizhou Mazu Golden Body Tour to Anputian activities.

Wang Shuhua told reporters that during the three years of volunteering, she and her husband seemed to act as "messengers", bringing Taiwan's leading culture and food culture to Meizhou. "Only by communicating with each other between the two sides of the strait can we further enrich the culture of Mazu beliefs and customs."

In order to better protect and inherit it, after more than ten years of efforts, the protection of Mazu beliefs and customs with "Mazu Festival" as the main content has gradually become standardized. In May 2023, the group standard of "Mazu Festival" formulated by the board of directors of Mazu Temple in Meizhou, Putian City, was officially released.

Lin Jinbang said that the release of the group standard of the "Mazu Festival" marks that the festival has entered a new stage of standardization, which will further play the core role of Meizhou Mazu Temple in the dissemination of Mazu culture, and promote the preservation, inheritance, dissemination and development of Mazu culture.

The world is Mazu, the ancestor is in Meizhou. At present, there are more than 1,49 Mazu Palace temples divided from the Mazu Temple in Meizhou, covering 3 countries and regions on five continents, with more than 3000 million Mazu believers. In Taiwan, there are more than 1600,<> Mazu Palace temples distributed from the mainland, and more than <> million Mazu believers. Every year, Taiwan's Mazu Palace Temple will respectfully invite Mazu to return to Meizhou Island, the "hometown of Mazu", to trace its roots and incense the ancestors.

"Meizhou Mazu Temple has always adhered to the concept of 'one family across the strait', taking Mazu culture as a 'heart bridge', continuously expanding cultural exchanges with Taiwan, and enhancing cross-strait people-to-people exchanges and people-to-people integration." Lin Jinbang said. (End)