Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple, Mazu temple in Meizhou Town, China
The Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple is a religious complex on Meizhou Island in Fujian Province, recognized as the birthplace of the goddess Mazu and containing multiple pavilions, gates, and ceremonial halls. The entire site follows a rectangular layout with a central axis that passes through successive courtyards and main halls, while side wings house additional shrines and galleries.
A first shrine appeared here shortly after the death of the woman Lin Moniang in the late 10th century and soon expanded into a larger temple. In the early 15th century, during the maritime voyages under Zheng He, the complex underwent major extensions and renovations that solidified its role as the foremost sanctuary of Mazu worship.
The temple stands as the primary shrine to Mazu, a deified woman named Lin Moniang who became the patron deity of maritime safety for Chinese communities.
Access begins at a large gate at the foot of the site, from which a series of steps and paths lead through the different levels. Visitors can pause at several points along the central axis to light incense or offer quiet prayers before continuing uphill to the uppermost platform.
A 14-meter-tall stone statue of Mazu stands at the temple summit, while ancient rock inscriptions mark the location where she reportedly ascended to heaven.
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