Putian Meizhou Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival in China | Putian
Celebration
Mazu's spirit connects the four seas, and the voice of harmony resonates across the five continents. On November 2nd, the Tianhou Square of the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple resounded with drums and incense smoke, marking the grand opening of the 27th Meizhou Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival!
At the opening ceremony, a solemn and dignified ceremony slowly unfolded, with the stunning performance of the Mazu sacrificial ceremony, a national intangible cultural heritage. As one of the "Three Great Sacrificial Ceremony of China," alongside the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum Ceremony and the Confucius Ceremony, it vividly narrates the vitality of the Mazu belief, an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, through its complete rituals and solemn procedures.
Amidst the drumming and music, each ritual carried the solemn atmosphere of a thousand-year-old tradition. The core spirit of "protecting the country and its people, and bestowing blessings upon the four seas" became increasingly clear, allowing those present to truly feel the cultural warmth of "virtue, benevolence, and great love."
This year's grand event holds a special surprise. For the first time, the opening ceremony featured 11 branch venues across five continents and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, allowing the appeal of Mazu culture to transcend geographical boundaries and resonate globally. This cross-regional resonance is the best proof of the charm of Mazu culture—this "sea guardian deity," whose real name was Lin Mo and who dedicated her life to saving lives, has now become a spiritual beacon for nearly 300 million devotees worldwide.