Matsu Beliefs in Taiwan
In folk religion of Taiwan, the Godess of the Sea is widely known as Matsu, or sometimes a different spelling “Mazu,” which literally means “mother ancestor.” An immigrant society through centuries, Taiwan is historically known for the forefatherscoming across the Taiwan Strait. As you can imagine, they seemingly needed theprotection from the sea goddess. The blessing and safeguarding from the godess was always guaranteed by carrying an image or a statue while they were sailing across the sea. After safely landing on the beautiful island, Formosa, our ancestors eitherexpressed their gratitude toward the sea goddess or set up a temple by showingappreciation for her favor. Consequently most of the old Matsu temples are either on the coast or along the big rivers. For hundreds of years, the visits and celebrations of Matsu temples have become an essential part of ordinary Taiwanese people’s daily lives.
The Guardian and Protector of Fishermen and Sailors
Matsu is a real historical figure, who was born in AD 960. Her original name is Moniang Lin, a high-ranking official Mr. Lin’s youngest daughter near Meizhou of
Putian City, Fujian Province, China. A smart girl and devout believer of Guanyin, who is also known as Bodhisattva of Compassion or the Goddess of Mercy in different
cultural contexts Lin’s devotion to religious acts and heartfelt sympathy for the risks of the fishermen are broadly recognized and, many of her fellow villagers are working as fishermen, people living on the coast of southeast China have been seeing her as an almighty protector of the fishing profession and a guardian of traveling on the seas. Widespread across the region, the Matsu belief can also be found in countries like Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia, just to name a few.
Taiwan’s Matsu Beliefs and Temples
According to unofficial statistics, Taiwan has more than a thousand temples dedicated to Matsu. Not surprisingly, most of the Matsu temples are in the south and
the central part of the island because the history of Taiwan began from the south, and the major port cities spread from the south to the middle section of the west
coast of the country. Taiwan is especially significant when it comes to the preservation of Matsu beliefs and traditions because China went through horrible
cultural revolution in the 50’s and 60’s. Most of the century-old Matsu temples in Taiwan still well-observe the rituals and ceremonies related to revering the sea
goddess, and its beliefs and customs have been listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in greater China region. Matsu’s birthday is universally observed on
the 23rd day of the third lunar month in Chinese lunar calendar, and its pilgrimage and celebrations have become a critical part of pop culture and folk religious
observance speaking of the regilous tourism in Taiwan. Among those temples, the most widely known should be the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in the suburb of Taichung
City.
Dajia Jenn Lann Temple
Dajia is the name of a district to the northwest of central Taichung. Derived from local plains tribe Taokas, the name of Dajia also reminds Taiwanese people of its biquitous shops selling rash mattresses and rash hats decades ago. The temple cantrace its history back to 1732 when the local gentry proposed to build a shrine for the goddess statue brought by a Lin family from the hometown of Matsu, Meizhou of . Now the temple boasts more than a million visitors each year as well asts pure gold and jade statues. In the basement of the temple court, there’s a “gold Matsu” made from the melted gold medals given by enthusiastic devotees. It’s worth nearly half a billion Taiwan dollars now according to the market price of gold. What’s
more impressive is a 1.5-ton jade Matsu statue, which was given as a gift by a Shanghainese businessman in 2011 and it’s worth nearly a billion Taiwan dollars. With these two star statues, followers of Matsu are frequently amazed by the devotion of the enthusiasts of the sea goddess as well as astonished sometimes by the invisible wealth of the temple
The Grand Matsu Temple In Tainan
Tainan is the ancient capital of Taiwan and, not surprisingly, most of the oldes establishments are constructed around this harbor city. The temple mentioned heris only a few steps away from another national monument Chihkan Tower, or Fort Provintia. It’s said that the Grand Matsu Temple used to be the palace of Princ Ningjing built as early as 1664 because the Kingdom of Tungning needs a royal family member of the Ming Dynasty to consolidate the military forces to fight against thQing rule. The short-lived kingdom didn’t win the battle against the Shi Lang-led naval forces in modern day Penghu, so the Prince decided to hang himself in the bedroom of his palace before the Qing forces took over Taiwan. He abandoned his
palace to a Buddhist monk to rebuild his palace to a Matsu temple and, after the grandson of Koxinga surrendered, the original “heavenly princess” temple was
upgraded to “heavenly queen” temple by the suggestion of the Navy Admiral Shi Lang of the Qing forces.
The Grandeur of the State-Level Matsu Temple
Tainan’s Grand Matsu Temple inherits the grandiose layout of Prince Ningjing’s palace before continuous renovations. This is the only state-level Matsu temple, which means that the high-ranking officials like prefects or magistrates have to come worship twice a year without visits by ordinary people .One of the features of this type of the state temple is that “door nails,” the nipple-like protrusions on the gates, are used rather than the more common painted “door gods.” If you check the worshiping hall and main hall, you can find intricate carvings decorating the pillars and beam brackets, explaining that this is not an average temple for locals. To the north side of the main axis of the long structure sits an extra segment, or some halls, for taking a break while the public servants pay their tribute to the sea goddess during the Qing rule though it’s now dedicated to another deity “Guanyin” and Buddhist immortals. The Temple is still now a major Matsu temple to perform the relevant ceremonies on a higher level though it’s no longer a national religious institution.
Lukang Tianhou Temple
In central Taiwan sits a small county with more than one million residents – Changhua County. On the coastal area of the county, there’s an old town known as Lukang, literally “deer port” because there used to be lots of sika deers near the harbor. This port city used to one of the top three big cities during the Qing rule besides Tainan and Bangka (now Wanhua District of Taipei). The most notable national monument in the town is the Lukang Tianhou (literally “heaven empress”) Temple, which was established in 1725. This is one of the oldest Matsu temples islandwide and still boasts its artistic value and historical significance. Donated and supported by the wealthy gentry in the region, the latest renovation of the temple
around a hundred years ago still sees the colorful paintings and ornate pillars, as well as delicate coffered ceilings and exquisite beam brackets especially in the entrance hall. This temple constantly flaunts its status as the “mother temple” of hundreds of“ children temples” nationwide. Thanks to its powerful influences, temple visits and processions are frequently seen here and visitors never feel bored with simply the architectural beauty of the structure. The highlight here is a small statue of Matsu which is believed to be brought here by the Navy Admiral Shi Lang after the successful conquest of the Kingdom of Tungning from the ancestral temple of Matsu’s hometown Meizhou of Fujian. Believe it or not, this statue is now the only
remaining one of the original six figurines from Meizhou!
Visitor Information
Opening hours:
Temples in Taiwan are normally open 24/7 unless specified. According to folk beliefs, people don’t, however, really like to visit temples during the night. If you plan to join
the Matsu pilgrimage organized by any of the Matsu temples, let’s say, the mos popular Dajia Jenn Lann Temple’s pilgrimage, don’t forget to download the app
created by the temple and you’ll be amazed by the details of the event in real time.
How to get there?
Dajia Jenn Lann Temple can be accessed by conventional train. It’s only a few minutes’ walk from the Dajia railway station. Tainan’s Grand Matsu Temple can be reached by Tainan City Bus No. 3 or No. 5. You just need to get off at the famou Chihkan Tower. As for the Lukang Tianhou Temple, you only need to travel Changhua railway station and then change to Changhua Bus “Lukang Line.”
Useful Tips While Visiting
Too hot in summer?
Temples always offer good shade and visitors can always find decent restrooms and water dispensers. When it comes the holy pilgrimage, however, you’ll have to bring
plenty of water especially on a hot early summer day. This may not be a problem anymore because the generous locals frequently offer free drinks and snacks on the way
during the pilgrimage. There’s a risk of eating too much to catch up with the procession nowadays!e.
Feeing hungry?
If you simply visit Dajia Jenn Lann Temple without the pilgrimage, don’t forget to walk along their old street Shuntian Road in front of the temple entrance or the Jianggong Road to the north side of the temple. You’ll discover lots of local good foods such as Taiwanese meatballs, deep-fried taro balls, tubed rice, rice sausages, etc. Visitors will need a couple of stomachs to sample all the tasty street foods, and when the weather is scorching hot, don’t miss the shaved ice with chewy taro balls and mung bean smoothies.
food stands before the temple (Photo credit: Edison Tours)
