Today is Chinese New Year when we bid goodbye to the Year of the Rat and say hello to the Year of the Ox. While not directly related to the New Year, it also seems a good time to say a prayer, at least figuratively or perhaps virtually, to the Goddess Mazu, the Taoist and Chinese Buddhist goddess of the sea and protector of sailors, fishermen, and travelers. Mazu is said to be worshipped in over 20 countries by more than 200 million people. Traditionally, one prays to Mazu for peace and safety, both worthwhile goals in this New Year.
In addition to peace and safety, believers also prayed to Mazu to eradicate a plague during the Qing dynasty. Ironically, a yearly celebration of the event, held at Cihyun Temple, known as “Gongpaocheng” (攻炮城), has been canceled due to COVID-19.
According to the Lonely Planet: Mazu was once Lin Mo-niang (林默娘; b AD 960) from Meizhou, Fujian. As a young girl Mo-niang was noted for her quickness to master magical arts and soon began to be regarded as a female shaman. Her particular forte was helping fishermen survive at sea: one of her most famous exploits was rescuing her own father.
Mo-niang died young, aged 28, but almost immediately people in Meizhou began to worship her. As word of her divine effectiveness spread, so did her cult. Her highest title, Empress of Heaven, was conferred after she reportedly assisted in overthrowing Dutch rule in Taiwan – by stemming the tides, as legend has it.
In the last few years, Mazu has gone viral on social media. The first time was in 2016, when a 6 foot tall statue of Mazu, accompanied by her two demon companions, flew business class from Xiamen in China to Malaysia as part of the China-Malaysia Cultural Exchange program.
Then in 2019, a Mazu statue had a first-class seat on a bullet train from Putian to Kunshan, East China’s Jiangsu Province. A video from the trip was viewed more than 18 million times on social media.
So, whatever your beliefs, or lack thereof, may be, may we all have a peaceful and safe New Year.