Meizhou Island is close to the shore of Putian, Fujian, China. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the goddess Matsu. Meizhou has 38,000 inhabitants, most of which have traditionally been in fishery.
The Mazu Temple on Meizhou Island enjoys an honorific title of "Meizhou Ancestral Temple of Queen of Heaven Temple". It was firstly built in 987 AD, the same year of Lin Moniang`s departure. With over a thousand years of development, the belief in Mazu has gradually spread from Meizhou to all over the world. At present，there are altogether nearly 5000 Mazu temples throughout the world, with approximately 200 million believers. Taiwan is a concentrated area of Mazu followers, and there are over 800 Mazu ancestral temples of various sizes on Taiwan Island with over 14 million followers. On Meizhou Island every year on the 23rd day of the third month and the ninth day of the ninth month respectively for the birthday of Mazu and for the day when Mazu was raised to the skies, there is a grand occasion of pilgrimage tour, hence the name of "Oriental Mecca". |
