Shared belief in Mazu sea goddess reinforces cross-Straits exchanges

The optimization of COVID-19 control on the Chinese mainland has paved the way for exchanges across the Taiwan Straits this year, especially over the Lantern Festival, which was celebrated on Sunday, and is an important time of family reunions.

On Jan 28, a group of 20 pilgrims flew from Taiwan to Xiamen in Fujian province, and then took a bus to Meizhou, a seaside resort in Putian to honor Mazu — a revered goddess of the sea who is worshipped on both sides of the Straits — and celebrate the festival with people on the mainland.

Mazu lies at the heart of numerous beliefs and customs, including oral traditions, religious ceremonies and folk practices. Before the epidemic, many Taiwan compatriots made the pilgrimage to Meizhou, which is believed to be the hometown of the sea goddess.

"For the past three years, there has been little interaction between believers from the two sides. Most activities have been organized online," said Wang Shuang-hsiu, a member of the visiting group.

The group was the first from Taiwan to visit Meizhou since the optimization of epidemic control measures.

Wang said they received a warm welcome from devotees in Meizhou. During their four-day visit, the pilgrims joined local people in attending the grand ceremony to worship Mazu, which included a parade with a statue of the sea goddess and the lighting of joss sticks at temples.

The visitors also tried their hand at making local snacks and the women in the group dressed up as Meizhou women, wearing the boat-shaped "Mazu bun". They also attended family dinners with Meizhou residents.

"It was said that this year's Lantern Festival ceremony would be so grand that many members of our group took leave to attend," Wang said. "When people from both sides dined together, it indeed felt like a family reunion."

Yang Shih-hsuan, president of the Taiwan Chinese Taoist Federation, which organized the trip, couldn't agree more. "We were honored and excited," Yang said. "We returned to Meizhou after three years and residents received us warmly like relatives."

Before COVID-19, the federation organized trips from Taiwan to Meizhou for thousands of Mazu devotees every year, Yang said, adding that the federation will provide more services for Mazu devotees, and build a stronger bond for cultural exchanges between people on both sides.

Lin Jinzan, chairman of the Mazu Temple's board of directors in Meizhou who received the group from Taiwan, said the temple has worked with other Mazu temples in Taiwan over the years to host a range of cultural activities.

"People on both sides of the Straits are part of one family and the more we visit each other, the closer we get," Lin said, welcoming more people from Taiwan to Meizhou.

Hsu Cheng-yu, chairman of the Taiwan Taoism Culture Foundation who was a member of the visiting group, said that they will share their memories of the trip with more people in Taiwan.

"So many people participated in the grand ceremony in Meizhou. We should resume religious exchanges between the two sides," he said.

The shared belief in Mazu has been a starting point for people from the mainland and Taiwan to communicate, said Hsu, adding that more young people will be encouraged to join the exchanges.

He said that this year there should be more exchanges between the two sides as many more trips to the mainland are being planned.

Many cross-Straits events were also held over the weekend to celebrate the festival, including a lantern show in Mawei, a district in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, which is close to the outlying island of Matsu governed by Taiwan authorities. Many Matsu residents took the ferry to Mawei to enjoy the show.

According to the government's work report of Fujian province this year, the closest mainland province to Taiwan will continue its efforts to become the "first home "for Taiwan residents to set down roots, by offering convenient exchanges and closer cooperation.

The province will promote cross-Straits exchanges of beliefs and customs this year, as the two sides have much in common, helping bring people closer. More effort will be made to encourage both sides to pass on traditional Chinese culture, the report said.