Mazu Memorial Ceremony
01 · Historical Records
According to successive Hainan historical works and local gazetteers, five Mazu temples had already been built in Haikou by the Yuan dynasty. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, Mazu temples were spread across all thirteen departments and counties of Qiongzhou Prefecture, giving rise to the folk activity of worship of the Queen of Heaven, which developed into an important folk activity with the participation of overseas Chinese.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Haikou worship of the Queen of Heaven is a folk activity centered on palaces (temples), expressed through customs and temple fairs, in which Mazu is venerated and praised. Mazu is also called the "Holy Queen of Heaven," the "Holy Lady of the Heavenly Consort," and the "Lady of the Heavenly Consort"; on the birthday of the Queen of Heaven (the 23rd day of the third lunar month) and the anniversary of her death (the 9th day of the ninth lunar month), every Queen of Heaven Palace (Heavenly Consort Palace) in Haikou, Hainan Province, holds sacrificial ceremonies. Haikou is a main area of settlement for immigrants from the interior; most of the island's migrants came from Putian, Fujian, during the Song and Yuan dynasties. After safely reaching the island and settling down to live and work in peace, out of gratitude to Mazu they built temples and worshipped her with devotion. The island's inhabitants are closely tied to the sea; Mazu culture took root here, giving rise to a broad popular cult. In addition, as Hainan was a key point on sea routes, with abundant tropical crops and marine products, it attracted large numbers of outside merchants. Fujian and Guangdong merchants who believed in Mazu built more than two hundred further Mazu temples across Hainan, strengthening the people's belief in and veneration of Mazu. The ritual norms of the Haikou worship of the Queen of Heaven have a relatively fixed procedure and content. First, the forms of worship: on Mazu's birthday, the 23rd day of the third lunar month, and the anniversary of her death, the 9th day of the ninth lunar month, the Queen of Heaven Palaces of Haikou hold grand sacrificial ceremonies, and Mazu faithful from all places gather at the main temple hosting the ceremony to take part in the worship. Second, the ceremonial procedure: after the chief officiant, the attendant officiants, the master of ceremonies, and the incense keeper have taken their places, the eulogy is read and incense is devoutly offered; the full rite of three kneelings and nine prostrations is performed; and finally "the eulogy and the precious silks are burned" — the whole process being solemn and dignified. Third, the ceremonial performances: troupes made up of honor guards, martial-arts teams, and other performance groups perform to the accompaniment of local melodies. Fourth, the Mazu procession: the faithful carry out the statue of Mazu, followed by the honor guard; the procession holds high command banners and brocade parasols and pulls streamers as it parades through the streets and lanes and along the shore — a spectacular sight.
Birthday and death day of the goddess
Both the birthday and the death day of the goddess are marked at every temple of Haikou, keeping memory of joy and mourning alike.
Text, incense and nine prostrations
With the four ritual offices in place, the text is read, incense offered, nine prostrations made, and text and silk burnt.
Escort and martial teams
Escort and martial teams perform to local tunes rather than imported scores, sending the goddess out in the city's own music.
The seaside procession
Carrying the image with flags and canopies and a banner stretched between them, the procession moves through streets to the water's edge.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Haikou's Mazu temples were brought in by immigrants: most of the island's residents migrated from Putian during the Song and Yuan dynasties and, after settling, built temples and worshipped; by the Yuan dynasty there were already five, in the Ming and Qing they spread across the thirteen departments and counties of Qiongzhou Prefecture, and Fujian and Guangdong merchants who came to the island to trade built more than two hundred more. A worship centered on temples and expressed through temple fairs has here produced four layers of rules: the grand ceremonies on the birthday and the death anniversary; the reading of the eulogy, the offering of incense, and the three kneelings and nine prostrations performed after the chief and attendant officiants, master of ceremonies, and incense keeper have taken their places; the ceremonial performances by honor guards and martial-arts teams to local melodies; and the street-and-shore routes of the statue procession.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony · Mazu Memorial Ceremony.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
They regard Mazu as the protective goddess of the sea and pray for smooth sailing throughout the voyage. The Haikou worship of the Queen of Heaven has rich connotations of folk custom, religion, and humanistic culture; it promotes the spirit of Mazu, manifests traditional virtues, upholds righteous conduct, fosters harmony, passes on folk arts, and preserves many folk phenomena, giving it considerable social and cultural value.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Lin Jinbang 04-1962
- Ma Zhaosheng 05-2983
- Wu Jiang 05-2984
- Chen Jianquan 05-2985
- Li Qingxiang
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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