On October 3, a ceremony marking the enshrinement of a Meizhou Mazu statue in Ethiopia was held at the Meizhou Mazu Temple. Ethiopia has now become the 52nd country or region to enshrine a Mazu statue from Meizhou, adding another destination to the international reach of Mazu culture.
At around 9 a.m., Lin Jinzan, chairman of the board of the Meizhou Mazu Temple, joined representatives of Ethiopia's FDC Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd., including Wang Penghui and Li Shunfa, in performing a solemn Three-Offering Rite.
Three-Offering Rite
After the three-offering ritual concluded, Chairman Lin Jinzan conducted the incense division and sacred flame collection ceremony for them and presented them with a certificate for the enshrined Mazu statue.
Incense Division and Sacred Flame Collection Ceremony
Wang Penghui, from Quanzhou, Fujian, was introduced to Mazu culture at an early age and grew up inspired by Mazu's spirit of universal love. In recent years, he has continued to follow new developments in Mazu culture. During Mazu's birthday celebrations on the 23rd day of the third lunar month this year, Wang visited Meizhou Island for the first time and was deeply moved by the distinctive appeal of Mazu belief and customs. On his journey home, the idea of enshrining a Mazu statue elsewhere gradually took shape.
"It is a great honor to bring an enshrined Mazu statue to Ethiopia, making Ethiopia the 52nd country or region to receive one from Meizhou," Wang Penghui said. He added that he had attended a major celebration organized by the Central African Mazu Temple in Nigeria, which drew many international participants. His company has established a project in Ethiopia, where a sizable Chinese community lives. He hopes there will be an opportunity in the future to build a Mazu temple and hold related events in Ethiopia, allowing Mazu culture to take root and flourish there.
Presentation of the Certificate for the Enshrined Mazu Statue
The Ancestral Temple's board of directors has long worked to promote Mazu culture overseas. Lin Jinzan said that Ethiopia has become the 52nd country or region to enshrine a branch spirit of Mazu from Meizhou. This marks further progress in the overseas spread of Mazu culture and represents a solid step toward establishing it abroad and integrating it into local society.
Presentation of commemorative gifts
Ethiopia is located in East Africa, covers approximately 1.1 million square kilometers, and has the second-largest population in Africa. Notably, China's "Mazu" intelligent meteorological early-warning system has been deployed in Ethiopia and other countries. Although Ethiopia is about 500 kilometers from the coastline, it is using "Mazu" to monitor every "breath" of the Indian Ocean, supporting disaster prevention and mitigation.