Meizhou Island

Mazu was, by tradition, a girl named Lin Moniang born on Meizhou in 960 who saved sailors and died young, and who came to be worshipped as the protector of seafarers across the Chinese maritime world, with temples in Fujian, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and beyond numbering in the thousands. The Meizhou ancestral temple is the source from which they trace their lineage, and pilgrims come to divide incense from it for new temples elsewhere. UNESCO listed Mazu belief and customs as intangible cultural heritage in 2009. The temple complex climbs the hill with a large stone statue at the summit, and festivals on Mazu's birth and ascension days fill the island.

What you actually see

• The ancestral temple - the source temple from which thousands descend.
• The hilltop statue - the stone Mazu figure above the complex.
• The pilgrim ceremonies - incense division and rituals by visiting temples.
• The island beaches - sandy shores around the pilgrimage sites.

When to go

October to April for mild weather; the Mazu birthday in the third lunar month and ascension in the ninth bring the largest gatherings and crowded ferries. Typhoon season from July to September disrupts crossings.

Honest expectations

Ferries are weather-dependent and cancelled in typhoon conditions. Festival periods fill accommodation and the temple entirely. The island is small and outside the temple has limited attractions.

Nearby

Putian lies on the mainland; Quanzhou is south along the coast.