Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple, Mazu temple in Meizhou Town, China

The Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple is a five-entry Song-style complex on Meizhou Island, Fujian, measuring 323 by 99 meters. Its central axis runs from a large archway and palace gate past bell and drum towers to the main hall, with side wings holding shrines and galleries. The temple is the ancestral shrine of Mazu, not her birthplace; she was born on the island in 960.

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.

Mazu worship here centres on Lin Mo, born on Meizhou Island on the 23rd day of the third lunar month in 960. The temple's rites and folk customs, known as Mazu belief and customs, were inscribed on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list in 2009. The Lingci Hall keeps a statue of Mazu in everyday dress, since sailors believed calling her Tianhou would make her stop to dress before rescuing them.

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.

The small Shennü Shrine behind the sleeping hall is held to be the original temple, built by islanders at the spot where Mazu is said to have ascended; it survived the Cultural Revolution through the protection of local residents. The 14-metre stone statue stands on the summit above it.