Meizhou’s Mazu Temple

Stretching back to the fourth year (987) of Yongxi of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Temple had a kaleidoscopic experience of makeovers, successively undertaken in the seventh year (1374) of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty led by Zhou Zuo, garrison commander of the then Quanzhou, as well as in the first year (1403) of Yongle and the sixth year (1431) of Xuande of the Ming Dynasty both by Zhenghe. Thereafter, successive revamps were carried out by Yao Qisheng and Shi Lang in the 22nd year (1683) and following year of Qing Emperor Kangxi, followed by several expansions until fixed in late Qianlong’s reign, plus the old-site restoration in the Republic of China. The complex has its central axis going from the northeast to southwest, embracing the Main Hall, Bedroom Hall, Memorial Temple of Mazu and Parents, Bell and Drum Tower, Chaotian Pavilion, Memorial Archway, Corridor, Monastery Gate, Imperial Edict Gate, along with rock inscriptions of “Ascending Heaven Relics”, to name a few. The initial Mazu Temple the world over, was hailed among the sixth batch of national key cultural relic protection sites in 2006, and into the roster of the first-batch Heritage Application Sites on “Maritime Silk Road＆Chinese Historical Relics”.