The incense of Meizhou traces its source far and wide; the sacred light of the fairy isle shines here. On the evening of May 8 (the 22nd day of the third lunar month), the "Vigil to Celebrate Mazu's Birthday" event at Meizhou Mazu Temple was solemnly held on Meizhou Island in Putian, Mazu's hometown, where admirers of Mazu from home and abroad gathered to celebrate her birthday.
At 11 p.m. that night, the Meizhou Mazu Temple theme light show was presented as scheduled. Brilliant lights spread across the long night sky and quietly settled over the ancient temple complex, revealing the temple's solemnity and vitality through shifting light and shadow, formally marking the start of the vigil.
In the square in front of the Ancestral Temple's Tianhou Hall, the Meizhou Mazu Temple Tianhou Art Troupe, the "Impression Mazu" performance team, and the "Origin in Meizhou" performance team took the stage in turn, giving heartfelt performances of programs such as "Spring Ode," "Cloud Robes for Prayers of Peace," and "Praising Mazu with Flowers." Their graceful dances and melodious music fully conveyed the distinctive charm of Mazu folk customs. Well-known singers including Jiang Peng and Hu Haiquan also performed songs such as "Holy Mother Mazu" and "Holy Mother of the Sea." Their gentle and heartfelt singing expressed reverence and praise for Mazu, and the scene was filled with applause and cheers, offering admirers of Mazu from home and abroad a cultural feast that combined folk depth with artistic beauty.
At 11:40 p.m., Lin Jinzan, chairman of the board of the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple, together with Yan Qingbiao, chairman of Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung, Taiwan; Liu Bingqing, vice chairman of the Thai Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Zhao Liucheng, Li Hongfei, and Lin Pingji, honorary chairmen of the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple board; Wu Fuxiang, honorary chairman of Xingang Fengtian Temple in Chiayi County, Taiwan; Lin Jinzhan, vice chairman of the World Lin Clan Association and chairman of the Taiwan Lin Clan Association; Mazu culture global promotion ambassador Liu Tao; and other guests, along with all the temple board members, the year’s ritual stewards, and Mazu devotees from home and abroad, followed the temple tradition and held a solemn three-offering rite before Mazu, presenting longevity peaches before Mazu's sacred image and paying tribute to Mazu's virtue, praying for peace and harmony across the world and for the people to live in safety and good health.
At 11:59 p.m., a ten-second countdown interaction began, with all the devotees chanting together. At midnight, bells and drums rang out across the night sky above the ancestral temple, and brilliant fireworks burst into the air.
Lin Jinzan said that Mazu culture is a spiritual bond rooted in Chinese civilization and connecting Chinese people at home and abroad. In the future, the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple will continue to deepen the inheritance and innovation of Mazu culture, enrich the forms of folk activities, and strengthen cross-strait and overseas exchanges on Mazu culture, so that the spirit of Mazu's "cultivating virtue, doing good, and great love" can cross mountains and seas, reach all corners of the world, and be passed down from generation to generation.