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Taiwanese Gather to Worship Sea Goddess
More than 2,000 Taiwan compatriots are expected to attend a ceremony this morning at the Mazu Temple in Meizhou Island, East China's Fujian Province, to worship Mazu, the goddess of the sea, said officials of the Putian municipal government.
"This is a grand gathering of unprecedented size in the last decade," said Yu Mingshui, an official from the Information Office of the Putian government.
A 700-strong visiting group organized by the Dajia Zhenlan Temple board, the biggest Mazu temple in Taiwan, arrived in Xiamen on Sunday and will attend the ceremony.
Another 1,500 Taiwan visitors and 90 Taiwan journalists will participate in the ceremony, Yu said.
Many Taiwanese and people who live in the coastal areas of southeastern China worship Mazu, a woman who lived during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) known for her weather forecasting abilities. They regard her as "the goddess of the sea."
Most of the pilgrims have come bearing sacrificial items, said members of the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport.
"We received more than 1,000 Taiwan pilgrims yesterday. They are very exciting, some of them have come to the mainland to attend the ceremony for their first time," said Xiang Yang, an assistant at the airport.
Many performances featuring folk art of the Meizhou Island will be held after today's ceremony. The event will run through Thursday.
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