The next morning, before seven o'clock, Feng Ye arrived at the Tianhou Temple to wait for the Mazu procession ceremony to begin.
Many villagers on the island also gathered at the entrance of the Tianhou Temple early in the morning to watch the excitement.
Before Mazu's procession, a middle-aged woman would first dress and groom her.
Around 7:30, the palanquin bearers finally carried the statue of Mazu from its throne into the palanquin.
The statue is quite large, and the palanquin is newly purchased.
The all-seeing and all-hearing birds would also go on the tour, and would be invited into the palanquin as well.
With the cry of "Respectfully inviting the spirit of Mazu to depart," a string of ten thousand firecrackers went off, and the sound of gongs and drums rang out at the same time.
The Mazu procession has officially begun.
Leading the way was an elderly man sprinkling water to clean the path, as a sign of cleanliness and respect.
Following closely behind were the "clearing the way" flags and the large gong used to clear the way.
Following behind are colorful flags on the left and right sides, and further behind are "Avoidance" signs.
Following closely behind was a procession of people in horizontal robes, embroidered with auspicious phrases such as "Peace and Safety in All Seasons," "Favorable Weather for Crops," "National Prosperity and People's Peace," "Everything Goes Smoothly," and "Peace and Harmony in the Region."
There were bands playing music in the middle and at the back of the procession.
Mazu sat regally in a wooden palanquin, carried in the center by Feng Ye and three others.
Leading the way were Mazu's two guardian generals, Thousand-Mile Eyes and Wind-Following Ears, each carried by four people.
On either side followed maids carrying flower baskets, dressed as little girls from the island.
Next up is the escort team.
At the very back, there were people carrying firecrackers and fireworks, which were set off by designated personnel as they walked.
The procession of Mazu naturally attracted many people to watch the spectacle, and the area in front of the Tianhou Temple was surrounded by layers upon layers of people.
Feng Ye's entire family naturally came out as well, and they had arrived early with Feng Ye.
When Feng Xinan saw Feng Ye carrying the sedan chair out, he excitedly shouted, "Father..."
Feng Yanmei and her brother Feng Xidong jumped up and down, shouting, "Uncle..."
It wasn't until the group descended the mountain and headed towards Dongtou Village that many people from the other three villages dispersed, but quite a few still followed.
Every year, Mazu's procession lasts four days, with each of the four villages on the island receiving one day, and she returns to the capital on the fifth day.
The order is rotated, and this year, the first day happened to be Dongtou Village's turn.
Almost everyone from Dongtou Village came out, adults and children alike, following on both sides or at the back of the procession from the Tianhou Temple onwards, accompanying Mazu on her procession.
Accompanied by the sounds of gongs, drums, and firecrackers, the procession followed the winding dirt road into Dongtou Village.
From this point on, some people would leave the procession early and return home ahead of time, waiting for Mazu's procession to reach their homes.
When Mazu goes on her pilgrimage, she needs to pass by the doorsteps of all the villagers and make a short stop.
Every household sets up an offering table at the door. When the statue of Mazu arrives, the host family will kneel down to welcome it and light incense to worship.
After visiting every household in the village, the group continued towards the sea.
After walking around the coast, we returned to the pier and stayed in a shed that had been set up beforehand, where we received the villagers' worship.
The worship ceremony begins with a respected elder from the village presiding over the ceremony, reciting the sacrificial text and burning it, praying for Mazu's blessing.
Then each household would perform the worship themselves.
And so, the day's parade came to an end.
They would wait until the auspicious time on the second day to set off again for the next village for the tour.
Mazu, also known as "Tianfei" or "Tianhou", and commonly called "Sea Goddess", is a legendary goddess who governs maritime shipping.
Legend has it that Mazu's original name was Lin Mo, and she was born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month in the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty (960 AD) on Meizhou Island in Fujian Province.
Her father was Lin Yuan, her mother was Wang, and she was the youngest of seven siblings.
Lin Mo grew up by the sea. He was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, knew the weather, was knowledgeable about medicine, was skilled at boating, was familiar with water, and was charitable, which made him well-liked by his neighbors and fellow villagers.
As she grew up, she resolved to dedicate her life to doing good deeds and helping those in need, vowing never to marry and focusing wholeheartedly on charitable and public welfare work.
He usually studies medical theory, treats patients, and teaches people how to prevent and avert disasters.
Legend has it that she could "cross the sea on a mat" to save people from drowning and distress, and was deeply loved by the people.
On the ninth day of the ninth month of the fourth year of the Yongxi reign of Emperor Taizong of Song (987 AD), Lin Mo, who was only 28 years old, ascended to heaven.
In reality, she tragically died while rescuing fishermen at sea.
However, according to legend, on the day Mazu ascended to heaven, thick clouds gathered on the summit of Meifeng Mountain, and a white plume of smoke shot into the sky.
It was as if one could hear celestial music played by string and wind instruments in the sky, reaching straight to the heavens, with rainbows shining brightly.
Mazu rides the long wind and auspicious clouds, soaring between the bright sun and the vast sky.
Looking down upon the world, it appears and disappears, then suddenly colorful clouds gather and it is no longer visible.
The people of Meizhou looked up and couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
After that, Mazu often appeared, and the villagers often saw her beside the mountain rocks and water caves, or sitting cross-legged in the colorful clouds and mist, or flying on the sea in red robes.
He often appears in dreams to manifest divine power, rescuing people in distress and protecting the country and its people.
The villagers, grateful for Mazu's kindness, built a temple on Meizhou Island to worship her.
Mazu thus became the sea goddess worshipped by fishermen for thousands of years.
She received numerous honors and titles from 14 emperors across four dynasties—Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing—ranging from Lady to Consort, Empress, Heavenly Consort, Heavenly Empress, and even Holy Mother of Heaven.
He is the person who received the most titles (36 times) and the person with the most titles (64 characters) in history.
The Mazu Festival was included in the national festival in the 19th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty, ranking alongside the Confucius Festival and the Guan Yu Festival as one of the three major national festivals at that time.
During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows was added.
In the fifty-third year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, he was granted the honor of being present at the spring and autumn sacrificial ceremonies, a status of unparalleled prestige.
In modern times, the Meizhou Mazu Festival is ranked alongside the Confucius Festival and the Yellow Emperor Festival as one of the three major festivals in China.
Mazu's final 64-character title is as follows:
The Goddess who protects the nation and its people, whose wondrous spirit responds, who spreads benevolence and universal salvation, who blesses all living beings, whose sincerity moves all to faith, who manifests divine favor and obedience, who bestows compassion and profound blessings, who brings peace and prosperity, who extends grace to the entire world, who calms the waves and proclaims benevolence, who guides the flow of blessings, who pacifies the oceans and bestows blessings, who grants boundless grace and virtue, who safeguards the grain transport and ensures peace, who invigorates the military and pacifies the borders, who blesses and spreads benevolence—the Goddess of Heaven.
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