Mazu: The Chinese Goddess Who Went Global

Mazu is a Chinese goddess particularly popular in Taiwan and the southeastern provinces of China. But she's also arguably the most popular Chinese goddess around the world, worshipped in 20 different countries around the world.

Thumbnail art by @hotcyder
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters.

[rtie]

I love the juxtaposition of essentially saying "I am not running for president for personal gain" directly before calling yourself the god-son of a major deity

[louieangellacaba]

Here in the Philippines the Filipino-Chinese syncretized Mazu with the Virgin Mary. One such example is the Our Lady of Caysasay in Batangas Province. Filipino-Chinese venerate the Virgin of Caysasay. They even have a statue of the Virgin of Caysasay displayed in the Mazu temple and they also have a festival for the Virgin. They first celebrate a catholic mass officiated within the temple compound and after the mass a Lion and Dragon dance is performed then a procession of the Virgin follows. Kao ka opera were also performed during the feast.

There are also many Filipino-Chinese catholic syncretism here like the Santo Cristo de Longos, the lost festival of San Nicolas de Buayang Bato and the Black Nazarene of Capalonga.

[quantumfoam]

"I am a god-son to a goddess, vote me"

Sounds legit

[KathyXie]

Watching from Taiwan, I was surprised to see this video. Yes in Taiwan Buddiism, Taoism, Chinese Folk religion, Chinese shamanism are all somewhat mixed, the lines between them can be blurry and most people have several religious belonging. The only thing missed in the video are Mazu companion guardians the demon/general Qian Li Yan and Shun Feng Er could have been metion in the history or iconography part.

[VieShaphiel]

My parents just went to join the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage last Sunday. I would have never expected Mazu to be covered on this channel, but the quality is top notch as usual!

[paiwanhan]

Macau is actually named as Port of Matsu because the original port was situated in front of the Matsu temple. Matsu island controlled by Taiwan is also named after the goddess. The largest city in Penghu islands (Pescadores) is named Makong, which means Matsu temple.

Interestingly, there used to be a competing tradition of sea gods worshipped by Chinese travelers to Taiwan other than Matsu, called Shuixian, which literally means Water Deity or Deities, since there are multiple historical and mythical figures who died by drowning that are referred to as one of the Water Deities. Early Chinese visitors such as Yu Yonghe, who visited in 1697 encountered a typhoon on his way back to China, and his ship sunk, leaving a few men clinging to a plank. They prayed to the Water Deity, and performed a ritual called Water Deity peddling, which involved symbolic peddling with chopsticks, and the Water Deity delivered them to Penghu. For a long while in Taiwan, fishermen worshipped Matsu, and merchants worshipped Shuixian. The oldest cities in Taiwan would have both Matsu and Shuixian temples, such as Makong, Tainan, and Hsinchu.

[KinLee]

they're was a court case in china, a fisherman was arguing he already payed all his debt own by another fisherman, and the judge ask him 'can u swear on mazu u are telling the truth?' and the fisherman think about it, and say ' fine, i'll pay him'

[AI-hxfx]

Speaking of syncretism, here in the Philippines some of the Chinese diaspora and their descendants have practised folk religion with the Catholic faith many of us are baptised into. They are baptised for a variety of reasons (often assimilation into Spanish colonial society), and fuse goddesses like Matsu with locally revered manifestations of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Matsu (Ma-cho in the local dialect of Hokkien) is seen by some as an emanation of Our Lady of Caysasay in Batangas, sometimes the reverse. That small miraculous image is also associated with the sea, and in the colonial era, ships passing near her shrine en route to Manila or Cavite would fire guns to salute the Virgin. Today, there are pilgrimages to the Catholic shrine by Ma-cho devotees, who venerate Mary in both the Catholic and Chinese manner, then they drive north through Manila to the Ma-cho temple in La Unión. Sometimes, they bring a statue of one or the other for the final procession to the temple.

Another instance is Our Lady of the Abandoned of Manila, and behind her shrine is a holy well and a small Taoist temple where she is called "Santa Ana Lao-Ma" ("Venerable Mother/Granny of the Santa Ana district"). It is increasingly common in urban centres to see a blend of Chinese folk rituals to honour Catholic figures, as beliefs like Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui are more mainstream among non-Chinese Filipinos.

[tc]

When I first came to Asia to live/work, I had a a 17 hour layover in Taipei (on my way to Guilin, China). My first stop was the Longshan Temple to pray to Mazu. I'm not Chinese ethnically and I'm Buddhist or Taoist (I'm Hindu!), but the pull was too great and her love so strong. I thanked her for safe travels and vowed to her that in every city I visit that has her temple, I'd make a visit. So, from Tianjin to Qingdao to Macau...any place I go that I know has a Mazu Temple, I definitely make a stop.

[TrevorJC]

I was a high school foreign exchange student in Taiwan and my host family had a shrine in the traditional Chinese tradition. Every day after breakfast and before leaving the house, everyone in the family, and I was expected to as well, bowed to the family altar. Again when we would arrive home after school. It was fascinating. I feel like sometimes Westerners don't really understand or take Eastern religiosity seriously just because it can be very open and fluid, but in reality it is very important to real, every day people.

[PhryneMnesarete]

I live right by the Mazu temple in Australia! I can see the statue from my balcony, it’s feckin massive.

[feelin_fine]

Oh, my goodness! I just went to the Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage (a record number this year). It is such a beautiful way to experience kind-hearted people and Taiwan. So glad you're bringing attention to this fascinating piece of popular devotion.

[michaelnewsham]

I live in Taitung, a small city on the east coast of Taiwan. Every 12 years there is a big Mazu festival, where for three days the whole town is vegetarian. People don't eat meat and especially seafood, because Mazu is the patron goddess of the denizens of the deep. It's followed by a huge seafood feast, because after all she is also the patron goddess of fishermen.
Our first local McDonald's had been built in between festivals, and the owners, being from Taipei, didn't know about this local custom- until several large tattooed gentlemen (Taoist temples are often associated with local gangsters) 'suggested' they cancel their hamburger menus for the festival, otherwise the goddess might be displeased and come out at night and smash all their plate glass windows. They quickly got religion.

[outerlast]

yes i've met some people from singapore who called her mother, like ma dzu

[thealmightyaku-]

I went to that Temple in Taiwan at the start of the video. I was travelling with friends, and I remember our host (who, incidentally, was a champion Taiwanese ballroom dancer) genuflected to the goddess as we left. My friends didn't notice, but seeing the act stuck with me.

Also, I can't help but see the 'cult' of Mazu as being comparable to Catholic popular sainthood: mortal miracle worker becomes larger-than-life target of devotion after death.

[dbbang]

As a devotee of Guan Yin, I found this video very interesting and informative. Thank you

[jatcyey]

I knew of Mazu quite recently, upon researching for my taiwan trip, and yes, Guanyin immediately came to mind 😊🤗

[Inabin]

Nothing says “Taiwan” like a billionaire running for president because a goddess told him to

[spitzfire]

Here in the Philippines the cult of Mazu is always identified with the devotion of Virgin Mary.

Yeah despite that Philippines is Catholic dominant country but still elements of oriental religion still present through inculturation.

[Euphoria]

As a Fujian native, was not expecting to see such video on youtube.