Qixiang Garden

Qixiang Garden

Qixiang Garden is located at the southern end of Nanhaituo on Dachangshan Island. A circular wall and a pink gate outline the garden’s irregular shape along the hill. In the center stands a white marble statue of the Goddess of the Sea.

Stepping through the garden’s gate, a pebble-and-cement path winds ahead. On the cliff edge, two light purple glazed-tile pavilions with flying eaves and upturned ridges hang gracefully, shining brilliantly. Opposite the pavilions, within high stone railings on an elevated platform, the sacred Goddess of the Sea stands firmly, holding up a red lantern. Her expression is serene yet solemn, her deep eyes gazing afar over the endless sea, while the red lantern cradled by her cheek radiates auspicious light.

The legend of the Goddess of the Sea casts a grand halo over the archipelago. Before liberation, when fishermen’s fates were often at the mercy of nature, they sought divine protection for themselves and their loved ones. The custom of releasing sea lanterns on the Goddess’s birthday, the 13th day of the first lunar month, has been preserved to this day. On this day, every household buzzes with excitement as if celebrating the New Year. People craft various boat-shaped lanterns from colorful paper, placing candles or bulbs inside. The lantern covers are inscribed with wishes such as “May the hold be full of fish and shrimp” and “May the harvest be abundant,” adorned with auspicious images like carp leaping over the dragon gate and landscapes with birds and beasts. Fishermen pour their devotion and affection into these small lanterns. As night falls, fishermen gather on the beach to release their lanterns into the vast ocean waves, offering them to the Goddess of the Sea, who is revered as equal to the bodhisattva. Firecrackers burst and fireworks light up the sky, creating a grand and spectacular scene. On the sea, countless lights dot the waves like star reflections, drifting with the wind before gradually vanishing between sea and sky. People firmly believe that the Goddess’s divine power extends across the vast ocean and beyond, keeping their loved ones’ boats safely within her reach.

Why do locals observe this custom? Legend has it that long ago, a father and son who were fishermen got lost at sea. Drifting aimlessly for days and nights, they were on the verge of despair when they suddenly spotted a red lantern ahead. They steered their boat toward it, and the lantern always maintained a certain distance, guiding them all the way to shore and back home. Since then, the tale of the Goddess of the Sea guiding lost fishing boats has spread far and wide. Every year on her birthday, fishermen and their families eagerly release lanterns into the sea, praying for the Goddess’s protection and safe passage.