Songshan Tianhou Palace in Xiapu

Songshan Tianhou Palace in Xiapu

Songshan Tianhou Palace in Xiapu, built during the Tiansheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty, was historically known as the "Mazu Palace," "Jinghai Palace," or "Apo Palace." It is the first Tianhou Palace constructed after the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple and one of the earliest and most renowned temples dedicated to the "Goddess of Peace on the Sea" in the eight Min regions. It has long enjoyed the prestigious title of the "Most Revered Palace."

Songshan Tianhou Palace is located in the southwestern part of Funing Bay, situated at the bay mouth of Aowo Harbor in Songshan Village, on Apo Hill, facing west with its back to the mountain and fronting the sea. Historical records in the County Annals, Prefecture Annals, Provincial Annals, Fujian General Annals, and even the national-level Chinese Illustrated Compendium clearly state that it was "built during the Song Dynasty at the bay mouth" or "located at the strategic point of the great waves, facing the Seven Stars and backed by the Five Tigers." These records document its spiritual jurisdiction extending south to Fuying Island, north to Simailie Islands, east to Yushan Island, and west to the village itself—illustrating the vast extent of its divine estate and the thriving incense offerings in those days. Most constructions during the Ming and Qing dynasties were government-sponsored. The entire complex covers over 600 square meters and features a hanging hip-roof wooden structure with through-tenon construction. The original building was divided into a main hall, central shrine, and deity niche, with a stage in front of the main hall and surrounding corridors on both sides. The ceiling of the stage had a five-layer arch design, intricately carved with figures and floral motifs. The palace gate was adorned with a four-layer arch, featuring upturned eaves and gilded decorations. Though the main hall was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, the surviving structure consists of five bays in depth and three in width, with the ceiling painted with an image of Mazu. Under the beams remain inscriptions from Hu Erzao, the Ming Dynasty Magistrate of Funing; Wu Wanfu, the Qing Dynasty Commander-in-Chief; and Zhen Shiji, the Prefectural Governor, all of whom contributed to renovations, as well as a stone stele from the 58th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty inscribed with “Jinghai Palace Worship Boundary.” The main hall’s hanging beams still display plaques from the Ming Wanli era reading “Hu Erzao, Magistrate of Funing,” and from the Qing Kangxi era inscribed with “Wu Wanfu, Commander-in-Chief of Funiing, Reconstructed,” and Zhen Shiji’s renovation credits. Other precious relics include Song Dynasty lotus-shaped stone bases, Song Dynasty stone statues of Mazu’s guardian generals Jin and Liu Generals, a Qing Dynasty Qianlong 58th year stone stele titled “Jinghai Palace Worship Record,” and Qing Dynasty wooden statues of Mazu.

According to statistics, in recent years, the number of worshippers visiting Songshan Tianhou Palace for ancestral worship has exceeded 300,000, with over 100,000 of them coming from overseas, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau alone. On the annual lunar dates of the 23rd of the third month (Mazu’s Birthday) and the 9th of the ninth month (Mazu’s Ascension Day), worshippers flock to Songshan Tianhou Palace from all directions to seek roots, perform fire-transfer rituals, and pray for peace.

Especially during the Dragon Boat Festival each year, the village of Songshan in Xiapu County, Fujian Province—where the Songshan Tianhou Palace is located—hosts the unique folk events of "Mazu Walking on Water" and "The Four Seas’ Dragon Kings Paying Homage to Mazu."

On November 1, 2004, the China Mazu Culture Exchange Association was established at the Meizhou Ancestral Temple, and Songshan Tianhou Palace was elected as a council member of the first board of the association. Songshan Tianhou Palace has also been listed as a “Fujian Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.”

Songshan Tianhou Palace in Xiapu boasts profound cultural heritage and has long attracted numerous fishermen and worshippers from the coastal regions of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Taiwan. It serves as an important venue for Fujian’s folk culture exchanges and plays a positive role in promoting cross-strait cultural interactions.