Miaodao Mazu Cultural Park

Miaodao Mazu Cultural Park

Miaodao Mazu Cultural Park is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tianhou Temple on Miaodao Island was first built in the fourth year of the Xuanhe era during the Northern Song Dynasty, which corresponds to the year 1122 AD. Initially, it was a Buddhist monastery consisting of only three thatched huts. In the sixteenth year of the Zhiyuan era under the Yuan Dynasty, after Fujian and Zhejiang shipmen set up a dedicated Mazu worship site within the temple, it gradually transitioned into a place for worshipping the sea goddess. Throughout the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, this site enjoyed flourishing incense offerings.

In the first year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor decreed the reconstruction of the temple. Yang Guodong, the Left Commander-in-Chief of Shandong, was ordered to carry out large-scale expansion of the Tianhou Temple, which essentially established the current layout of the temple. This led to the formation of an ancient architectural complex comprising numerous halls, chambers, and corridors. Emperor Chongzhen bestowed the three large characters “Xiǎn Yìng Gōng” (显应宫), meaning “Palace of Miraculous Response,” symbolizing that those who visit the temple with good intentions will receive blessings.

Inside the Tianhou Temple on Miaodao Island, a large number of ship models and valuable maritime historical materials were preserved, earning it the reputation among scholars from China and abroad as the “Maritime Museum of the East.” During the Cultural Revolution in 1969, the original temple was completely destroyed, leaving only a mirror and an image.

In the spring of 1983, the Changdao County Party Committee and County Government, aiming to rescue this renowned historical and cultural relic and restore its original status, reopened it in 1985. In the same year, it was designated as China’s first county-level comprehensive maritime museum, encompassing ship models from across the nation and carrying forward the historical legacy of “respecting wood as boats” and “using wood as oars,” sailing into today’s mechanized era.

Since the establishment of the temple, every July, ships from southern regions (Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian) would come to hold the “Menglan Festival” and perform traditional operas. Merchants from all over flocked here to attend the fair and trade various goods. At the time, there were two sayings describing this bustling scene: “Masts and sails stood densely, coming and going incessantly; music and dancing lasted all night long.” The Miaodao Xiǎn Yìng Gōng (Temple of Miraculous Response) once spiritually connected the four seas and linked the five lakes, serving as the leading temple among over 120 temples on the islands. Countless devout believers knelt before the Goddess, praying for her protection, hoping for rescue in times of danger and relief for the vulnerable, with incense offerings continuing year after year.

Worshipping Mazu – the Sea Goddess

Due to the unique maritime culture of the island and the special status of the Mazu Temple in the hearts of the people of Changdao over the centuries, the locals have worshipped Mazu from top to bottom, with nearly every household enshrining the Sea Goddess. Especially among ship owners and individuals involved in shipping, they often offer plaques or other items to the Mazu Temple. Some even build a ship model identical to their own vessel and place it in the Goddess’s hall, believing that doing so would earn the Goddess’s special care in times of danger or disaster.

Every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Changdao holds a grand temple fair. Boats from the county’s two towns and six townships gather at Miaodao Island, where the harbor is filled with masts like a forest, colorful flags like paintings, and crowds of people. It is said that this temple fair was originally called the “Menglan Festival.” Since the Mazu Temple was established on Miaodao Island, Changdao has held this event, which now has a history of over 800 years.

In recent years, the Changdao Temple Fair has integrated the worship of Mazu with events such as the Lantern Festival, theatrical performances, commodity exchanges, and lantern riddle games, creating an unprecedented scale of economic and cultural exchange. The Changdao County Party Committee and County Government have always strongly supported this mass activity. During the fair, officials from various departments personally attend the event, and all commercial vessels are arranged to provide free transportation for pilgrims and tourists visiting the Sea Goddess, both from on and off the island. At that time, the Miaodao Xiǎn Yìng Gōng becomes the center of all activities, with fireworks, celebratory drums, and colorful flags and banners filling the entire Miaodao Bay. People truly believe that the joyous temple fair will surely bring a bountiful harvest from the sea.

The people of Changdao have deep faith in the Sea Goddess. Each of them can recount stories such as “The Goddess Bestows a Light,” “The Goddess Guides the Way,” “The Goddess Establishes a Home,” and “The Goddess Wisely Claims Miaodao Island.” Almost all these stories revolve around the Goddess’s magical divine lamp. No matter how violent the raging waves or how perilous the dark rainy nights, as long as one sees the faint red glow of the Goddess’s lamp from afar and firmly follows it, the surging waves will turn into gentle ripples, the torrential rain will become a breeze, and a lone sailboat will safely approach a harbor as warm as a mother’s embrace... When fishermen return safely from danger, the first thing they do is visit the temple. They believe it is following the red light that saved them from peril.

Lin Mo, also known as Mo Niang, was affectionately called “Auntie,” “Mother,” or “Mazu” by the people. She was from Putian.

Born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month in the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty (960 AD) into an official family on Meizhou Island in Putian County, she never cried from birth until she was one month old. Because of this, she was named “Mo” (meaning “silent”), also called “Mo Niang.” Her great-grandfather Baoji served as a military commander under the Zhou Dynasty but later resigned and lived in seclusion on Meizhou. Her grandfather Fu inherited the family’s honors and served as the Governor of Fujian. Her father Yuan held the position of Fujian Patrol Inspector in the early Song Dynasty. Mo Niang was exceptionally intelligent; at the age of eight, she could understand the general meaning of the books she read with her tutor. As she grew older, she enjoyed chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha. She... More details about Lin Mo ++