Ancestral Temple Festival Activities
Opening the Temple Gates for Spring
Every New Year's Eve, the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple board holds the gate-opening and first-incense rite at Tianhou Palace on the western axis. Representatives from the temple and the wider community open the gates together, wishing Mazu devotees at home and abroad good fortune, health, and national prosperity. Devotees also keep vigil at the ancestral temple and offer the first incense to pray for peace.
New Year Prayer Ceremony
On the third day of the first lunar month, the temple board holds a New Year prayer ceremony at Tianhou Hall on the southern axis. With the theme of welcoming a new year and praying for peace, devotees follow ancient ritual forms, offer high incense, pray for the five blessings, and praise Mazu.
Golden Mazu Homecoming to Shanglin
On the eighth and ninth days of the first lunar month, the temple escorts the Golden Mazu statue back to the Shanglin former residence to visit kin and bestow blessings. During the two-day rite, the statue stays at the Mazu former residence in Tianfei Hometown Heritage Park, receives worship from devotees worldwide, and is accompanied by folk music, riddles, performances, procession troupes, Mazu hair-combing, Mazu noodles, and other intangible heritage experiences.
Welcoming Mazu for the Lantern Festival
Meizhou Island celebrates the Lantern Festival from the eighth to the eighteenth day of the first lunar month. During these twelve days, fourteen Mazu temples carry out blessing processions in their communities, with the Golden Mazu's return to her hometown in Dongcai Village among the grandest. On the evening of the fourteenth, the procession sending Mazu back to the upper palace becomes a spectacular island-wide celebration.
Mazu's Global Homecoming
Around Mazu's birthday on the twenty-third day of the third lunar month, devotees from around the world invite branch Mazu statues back to Meizhou Island to worship at the ancestral temple. Some pilgrimage groups number more than 5,000 people, creating the folk gathering warmly known as Mazu's Global Homecoming.
Mazu Homecoming Launch Ceremony
On the first day of the third lunar month, the temple board raises banners and hangs red lanterns at the Shengzhi Gate square, formally announcing the start of the Mazu birthday season. Temples from around the world organize devotees to return to Meizhou, worship at the ancestral temple, and celebrate together.
Mazu Birthday Spring Sacrificial Ceremony
The twenty-third day of the third lunar month marks Mazu's birthday, when the Spring Sacrificial Ceremony is held at Tianhou Square on the temple's southern axis. Devotees gather to worship Mazu and share blessings. With a long ritual history, the Meizhou Mazu ceremony was incorporated into the national ritual system during the Kangxi era and is known alongside the Confucius and Yellow Emperor ceremonies as one of China's three great sacrificial rites.
Mazu Ascension Sea Prayer Ceremony
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month commemorates Mazu's ascension. Each year the temple board holds a sea prayer ceremony at the Shen'ao Bay ritual boat, where devotees gather for offerings and prayers. The rite combines Mazu culture, maritime civilization, and folk art, expressing reverence for the sea, gratitude to Mazu, and hopes for safety and harmony with nature.
Straits Forum and Mazu Culture Week
The Straits Forum is an important people-to-people exchange platform across the Taiwan Strait, and Mazu Culture Week is one of its key activities. As the birthplace of Mazu culture and a spiritual homeland for Taiwan's Mazu devotees, Meizhou Island promotes Mazu culture, protects and develops the island, builds the core area of the Mazu cultural center, and welcomes more Taiwan compatriots to visit, exchange, and renew their Mazu bond.
China Meizhou Mazu Culture and Tourism Festival
Founded in 1994, the China Meizhou Mazu Culture and Tourism Festival has been held for twenty-five editions. During the festival, the temple presents the national intangible cultural heritage Mazu sacrificial rite at Tianhou Square. The festival has continued to expand in content, scale, and influence, becoming an important platform for cultural exchange with Taiwan and the wider world.
New Year Countdown Prayer Series
At the turn of the calendar year, the temple board holds a New Year countdown gala with pilgrims and visitors. It also holds a prayer ceremony at Tianhou Palace on the western axis, where devotees gather to worship Mazu and pray for blessings.
Meizhou Mazu's Global Inspection
Building on Meizhou Mazu's procession traditions, the temple has actively organized global inspection and cultural exchange activities since 2017, including journeys to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Chaoshan, the Philippines, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Thailand, and Putian. These events respond to the Belt and Road Initiative, promote people-to-people ties along the Maritime Silk Road, and expand the global influence of Mazu culture.
Morning Devotion to Mazu and Prayer Recitation
Morning devotion to Mazu preserves traditional culture and creates a solemn atmosphere for worship. Centered on reciting the Meizhou Heavenly Holy Mother Scripture, it guides devotees to cleanse their hands, offer incense, and pray for peace. The rite takes place at Tianhou Hall on the southern axis, begins at 6:36 in summer and 7:06 in winter, lasts about 45 minutes, and is open to all devotees.