Mazu (goddess)

Mazu (goddess)

Mazu (simplified Chinese: 妈祖; traditional Chinese: 媽祖; pinyin: Māzǔ; Wade–Giles: Ma-tsu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Má-chó͘, Vietnamese: Ma Tổ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū; literally "Mother Ancestor"), also spelt Matsu, is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the patron deity of all Southern Chinese and East Asian persons. Born as Lin Moniang (Chinese: 林默娘; pinyin: Lín Mòniáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Be̍k-niû; Foochow Romanized: Lìng Mĕk-niòng) in Fujian around 960 CE, worship of Mazu began around the Ming Dynasty, when many temples dedicated to her were erected all across Mainland China, later spreading to other countries with Southern Chinese inhabitants.

Mazu is widely worshipped in the south-eastern coastal areas of China and neighbouring areas in Southeast Asia, especially Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan, as well as Vietnam and Taiwan all of which have strong seafaring traditions, as well as migrant communities elsewhere with sizeable populations from these areas. Mazu also has a significant influence on East Asian sea culture, especially in China and Taiwan.