Dongtou Mazu Festival

Zhejiang
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Dongtou County is located outside the mouth of Oujiang River in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It consists of 103 islands and has a land area of 100.3 square kilometers. It is adjacent to Fujian Province and people mainly engage in fishing production. The special environmental conditions and geographical location make people extremely believe in "Mazu". In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, fishermen from Putian, Fujian Province came to Dongtou to fish and brought the "Mazu" belief. The "Mazu Palace" in Dongsha was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It is the largest and most complete Mazu temple in Zhejiang Province. It has a history of nearly 300 years and is the only provincial cultural relic protection unit among the Mazu temples in Zhejiang Province. At present, there are 11 "Mazu Palaces" built in the six towns of the county, and there are also 11 temples dedicated to Mazu and Chen Shisi Niangniang. On average, there is a Mazu temple every 4.5 square kilometers. Whenever Dongtou fishermen build a new boat, they have to set up a niche in the middle cabin of the boat to worship Mazu. At the beginning and end of the fishing season, they have to go to the Mazu Temple to worship. Every year on the 23rd day of the third lunar month and the 9th day of the ninth lunar month, each Mazu temple holds a grand sacrificial ceremony, which mainly includes worship, "making offerings", Mazu parade, "welcoming the fire tripod", drama and other folk cultural activities. The believers participate in 93 fishing villages throughout the county, which is the biggest ceremony in the religious activities of the Dongtou fishing area. Dongtou is 138 nautical miles away from Taiwan, and it only takes 8 hours by motorboat; Dongtou fishing ground is the second largest fishing ground in Zhejiang. When Taiwanese fishermen come to Dongtou for production and supplies during the fishing season, they must go to the Mazu temple to worship and present brocade curtains, and exchanges are very frequent. The main value and influence of "Mazu belief and custom" are as follows: 1. The image of Mazu has become the embodiment of kindness, wisdom and justice in people's minds. It has practical significance for improving people's mind, purifying social morality, and building a harmonious society. 2. Mazu culture has spread all over the world, and the cultural bond is of obvious significance. It plays an important role in foreign cultural exchanges and acknowledging one's ancestors. 3. Mazu belief is an important bridge and bond across the Taiwan Straits, a platform for cultural exchange between the mainland and Taiwan, and has positive significance for promoting the reunification of the motherland.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

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