Lin Jinbang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Lin Jinbang, Male, Han, from Putian, Fujian, is a fourth-batch national representative bearer of Mazu Memorial Ceremony (Ⅹ-36). The tradition is documented in Putian, Fujian. Within the regional tradition and school record of Mazu Memorial Ceremony in Putian, Fujian: The custom of the Mazu sacrificial ceremony has a long history and far-reaching influence; especially along the mainland coast of China and in the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions and across Southeast Asia, the image of Mazu is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, known to all, young and old. At present, more than twenty countries and regions around the world, and more than five hundred counties and cities in thirty provinces and municipalities within China, have built more than five thousand fairly large Mazu branch temples; nearly two hundred million people worship Mazu, and every year more than one million domestic and overseas tourists travel to the ancestral Mazu temple on Meizhou Island to pay homage. Mazu culture originated in the early years of the Northern Song dynasty and has a history of more than one thousand years to this day. Mazu, with the family name Lin and the personal name Mo, was born on Meizhou Island in Putian in the first year of the Jianlong era of the Northern Song, and died in the fourth year of the Yongxi era while rescuing people from a disaster at sea. In October 2004, the China Mazu Cultural Exchange Association was founded at the ancestral Mazu temple on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian, providing an important platform for Mazu cultural institutions and figures at home and abroad to carry out academic research, conduct exchanges and fellowship, promote Mazu culture, and enhance mutual understanding and consensus.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
Male, Han ethnicity, born in March 1949, a native of Putian City, Fujian Province. Under the influence of his family from childhood, he learned the etiquette of the Mazu memorial ceremony from his mother, Lin Congzhi. After many years of practice he is familiar with the etiquette and procedure of the Mazu memorial ceremony and has a relatively deep understanding of its historical development and cultural meaning. He has presided over the ceremony on many occasions and is noted for its solemnity, rich content, orderly regulation and conformity to traditional etiquette; he has also organised folk-custom specialists to reform the music and dance of the ceremony so as to meet the demands of the times. He has long been engaged in research on Mazu beliefs and customs, has organised experts and scholars to compile and publish documents such as A Compilation of Historical Sources on Mazu in the Qing Dynasty, and has repeatedly led groups to Malaysia, Singapore and other countries for fellowship activities. Within the documented technical tradition of Mazu Memorial Ceremony in Putian, Fujian: Meizhou Island lies at the mouth of Meizhou Bay on the coast of Fujian and belongs to Putian City, Fujian Province; it is the hometown of Mazu, the sea goddess revered throughout the four seas, and the place where Mazu culture originated. Grateful for the good deeds she did in her lifetime in aiding the world, people spontaneously built a shrine on Meizhou Island to worship her shortly after her death, first calling her "Mazu" and honoring her as the goddess who protects seafarers. The sacrificial ceremony of the ancestral Mazu temple is held every year on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, the birthday of Mazu, at the ancestral temple square on Meizhou and the Tianhou square of the new hall. The ceremony takes about 45 minutes in full and comes in large, medium, and small scales. Its procedure includes: 1. beating the drums and firing the cannon; 2. the honor guard and ceremonial guard squad taking their positions, and the musicians and dancers taking theirs; 3. the chief sacrificer and accompanying sacrificers taking their positions; 4. welcoming the deity and offering incense; 5. laying out the silk offering; 6. reading the sacrificial address; 7. kneeling in homage; 8. performing the rite of the first offering, with the Music of Peace played; 9. performing the rite of the second offering, with music played; 10. performing the rite of the third offering, with music played; 11. burning the sacrificial address and the silk; 12. three kneelings and nine kowtows; 13. completion of the rite. Among the thousands of Mazu temples throughout the world, more than one thousand are in Taiwan, where Mazu is honored as the "Holy Mother in Heaven." Mazu culture has a strong cohesive force among Chinese people all over the world and exerts great influence, especially in Southeast Asia. Over a thousand years, Mazu culture has become an important component of the fine traditional culture of the Chinese nation, and a cultural bridge and spiritual bond linking Chinese people at home and abroad and connecting all parts of the world. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The rite of the twenty-third of the third month": The ancestral temple rite falls on the goddess's birthday, held at both the temple square and the square before the new hall. "The three offerings": Offerings are made three times, the first accompanied by music of peace, a sequence inherited from ancient sacrificial protocol. "Drums, cannon and the escort": Drums and cannon open the rite; the escort, musicians and dancers take their places, then the priests, inviting the sea goddess down to the square. "Burning the text and silk, and the three kneelings": The text and silk are burned, followed by three kneelings and nine prostrations; only when these are done is the rite complete.
The rite of the twenty-third of the third month
The ancestral temple rite falls on the goddess's birthday, held at both the temple square and the square before the new hall.
The three offerings
Offerings are made three times, the first accompanied by music of peace, a sequence inherited from ancient sacrificial protocol.
Drums, cannon and the escort
Drums and cannon open the rite; the escort, musicians and dancers take their places, then the priests, inviting the sea goddess down to the square.
Burning the text and silk, and the three kneelings
The text and silk are burned, followed by three kneelings and nine prostrations; only when these are done is the rite complete.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
National representative bearer of the Mazu Memorial Ceremony, a fourth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
At present, more than twenty countries and regions around the world, and more than five hundred counties and cities in thirty provinces and municipalities within China, have built more than five thousand fairly large Mazu branch temples; nearly two hundred million people worship Mazu, and every year more than one million domestic and overseas tourists travel to the ancestral Mazu temple on Meizhou Island to pay homage. Mazu culture originated in the early years of the Northern Song dynasty and has a history of more than one thousand years to this day.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lin Jinbang | Putian, Fujian | 04-1962 | This page |
| Ma Zhaosheng | Jinnan, Tianjin | 05-2983 | Other regional school |
| Wu Jiang | Dongtou, Zhejiang | 05-2984 | Other regional school |
| Chen Jianquan | Macao, China | 05-2985 | Other regional school |
| Li Qingxiang | Jinnan, Tianjin | — | Other regional school |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。