Quanzhou Tianhou Palace

Located at No.1, Tianhou Road, South Gate of Quanzhou City, Quanzhou Tianhou palace was first built in the second year of Qing Yuan Dynasty of Song Dynasty (AD 1196). It was first called "niangma Palace". Among all Mazu temples, it has the largest scale and the best preservation. It still retains some song Dynasty components and Ming and Qing Dynasty wooden structures. Quanzhou Tianhou temple is also the first state key cultural relics protection unit in Mazu temple in mainland China, which was approved and announced by the State Council (1987).

Quanzhou Tianhou Palace

Located at No.1, Tianhou Road, South Gate of Quanzhou City, Quanzhou Tianhou palace was built in 1196 A.D. Quanzhou was the largest port in the song and Yuan Dynasties, the peak of China's overseas trade. Mazu was introduced to Quanzhou port, where overseas traffic and trade flourished, and became Quanzhou sea god. With the development of water transport and overseas traffic, Mazu became a national sea god and spread abroad

The site of the temple is located on the Bank of Jinjiang River in the south of the city, the "gathering place of tourists and Voyages", and it is the place of international view. The temple has the highest standard of etiquette among the similar buildings at home and abroad.

Quanzhou Tianhou palace, the existing building is large-scale, well preserved, still retains some Song Dynasty components and Ming and Qing Dynasties wooden structure. Therefore, the Queen's palace in Quanzhou is also the first national key cultural relics protection unit among Mazu temples in mainland China approved and announced by the State Council (January 13, 1988)

. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the sea ban, the decline of Quanzhou port, a large number of people in order to make a living in Nanyang across Taiwan, Mazu belief also spread more widely with the footprints of businessmen and immigrants. In Taiwan, the "Wenling mother" came from the temple of Queen of heaven in Quanzhou.

Tianfei palace was first called Tianfei palace in the Yuan Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, Shi Lang regained Taiwan and invited her to play. When she was granted a special title, Tianfei palace was renamed Quanzhou Tianfei palace.

Introduction to Mazu

Mazu, whose real name is Lin Mo, was born in Putian County (today's Putian, Fujian Province) of Qingyuan army. He was born in the first year of Jianlong (960 A.D.) of song Taizu. On March 3, his father, Lin Weike, and his mother, Wang's, paid attention to accumulating virtue and doing good deeds. They were all over 40 years old. Although they gave birth to one man and five women, they always felt that it was difficult for a single branch to carry on the family line and prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva for another man.

Wang soon became pregnant. At the time of birth, Wang saw a light shooting into her room from the northwest. The light was dazzling, and the fragrance floated around for a long time. When Lin Mo Niang grew up, she was determined to do good deeds all her life. She was determined not to get married. She devoted herself to the study of medical theory and the prevention of disasters. She is kind-hearted, helpful and helpful. She also guides villagers to avoid danger and seek good fortune. Anyone who is killed is willing to ask her for help. At that time, the epidemic in Putian area, Lin Mo Niang tried every means to rescue the villagers, and sure enough, Li Yu.

Experience

The villagers were grateful for her help. In the fourth year of Yongxi reign of Song Dynasty (AD 987), during the Double Ninth Festival, Mazu's father and brother sailed to the north in a boat. The west wind was blowing fast. On the way, they encountered fierce winds and waves, and the boat bumped violently in the fierce wind and waves. Mazu min felt that his father had been killed. She came to rescue him, and his father rescued him, and his brother and himself died. In this way, the villagers praised her for "understanding the secret method, predicting the rest of the fault, and the villagers recovered from their illness.". Chang can cross the sea by seat and travel among the islands by cloud. People call her "goddess" or "Dragon Girl".

In 987, when Mazu ascended to heaven, Putian fishermen built a temple for him at the place where Mazu ascended to heaven. This temple is Mazu temple in Meizhou, Putian, known as the ancestral court of more than 5000 Mazu temples in the world. Fishermen pray regularly for Mazu to continue to protect them.

Set up a temple to offer sacrifices

Because she was good to the people before she died, she was honored as the goddess of the sea by the coastal people after she was promoted. Set up a temple to offer sacrifices. In 1122 A.D., consul Lu Yundi of the Song Dynasty ordered Gao Liguo (South Korea) to meet with a storm in the Yellow River ocean. Some of the sailors on the ship were hired from Putian. During the crisis, these Putian sailors from Mazu's hometown prayed for Mazu's safety.

After returning to China, Lu Yundi invited the imperial court, and Huizong of Song Dynasty granted the title of "Shunji" to Mazu temple in Putian. "Shunji" is the first official favor and affirmation of Mazu, a traditional folk worship, which makes Mazu change from spontaneous belief to officially recognized local belief for the first time.

At the same time, the Mazu belief in Putian has been used for reference and accepted by more and more coastal residents in China. Mazu belief is no longer only prevalent in Putian and nearby areas. Some coastal cities and islands outside the province also began to pay attention to Mazu worship, and even build temples for worship. Mazu belief also spread from Putian In Shandong, apart from Putian ancestral temple (987) and pinghaiwei Mazu Palace (999) and shengdun Temple (1086), the two earliest Mazu temples in the world, Penglaige Tianhou Palace (1122) and Changdao Miaodao Xianying Palace (1122), were built in Penglai and Changdao respectively. In 1196, Quanzhou Tianhou palace was officially completed.

Historical records

According to historical records, Quanzhou Tianhou palace was built in 1196, the second year of the Qing Dynasty. It is said that in the same year, "Jue Quan, a monk of Haichao nunnery in Wupu, Quanzhou, dreamed that God ordered him to build a palace, which was initiated by Xu Shichang, a native of Tuili. In fact, it is the confluence of Wujiang River and xunzhui River, and the gathering place of passenger ships. At that time, Luocheng was still in Zhennan bridge, but the palace was on top of Wupu. " At that time, the Mazu palace was built on a large scale, with three halls, mountain gates, two corridors and two pavilions. In 1122, Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty granted "Shunji" to Mazu temple in Meizhou, Putian, which is called Shunji palace. After 74 years, Mazu culture was officially spread to Quanzhou and Quanzhou Tianhou palace was built. "Shun Ji" means "Shun Feng Yi".

Fifteen years after the construction of Shunji palace in Quanzhou, Zou Yinglong, the Sheriff of Southern Song Dynasty, built a stone bridge at the downstream of the bamboo river in 1211, which is near Shunji palace and named "Shunji bridge". The stone bridge is located in front of the Shunji palace and across the Jinjiang River, with a total length of more than 150 Zhang and a width of 1.5 Zhang. There are stone railings and towers on the bridge. At the end of the bridge, there are powerful stone generals and Bridge fortresses. On the horizontal plaque, there are four characters of "Xiongzhen Tiannan" and three characters of "Shunji bridge" carved in the stone. When Chinese and foreign merchant ships moored in the river, the first thing they saw were the two magnificent buildings, Shunji palace and Shunji bridge. The names of "Shunji" and "Mazu" spread all over the world.

Opening to the outside world

In the Song Dynasty, Quanzhou local officials and city shipping department officials held a ceremony of "praying for the wind and the sea" every spring and autumn, praying for calm waves and safe navigation, so as to encourage the development of foreign trade. In the early days of the Southern Song Dynasty, the ceremony of praying for wind was held in jiuri mountain of Nan'an County, but it was replaced by the ceremony of Shunji palace. Song, yuan and Ming Dynasties often sent officials to offer sacrifices. In 1720, Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty appointed spring and autumn sacrifices. Since then, official sacrifices in Shunji palace have become a rule.

In the song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou became one of the world trade ports. In order to develop maritime trade, the Yuan government issued an imperial edict in 1278 A.D. to "make Quanzhou a goddess to protect the country, to protect the country, to benefit the spirit, to be good at celebrating and to help the heavenly concubine." The emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty called Mazu "goddess of Quanzhou" and granted her the title of heavenly concubine. Mazu's divine status suddenly improved. In the 18th year of the Zhiyuan Dynasty, Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty issued an edict again to hold a ceremony of offering sacrifices and honoring Tianfei in Quanzhou Tianfei palace

. In the third year of Dade (1299), on February 20, Emperor Wenzong of the Yuan Dynasty issued an imperial edict, "add Quanzhou sea god, and say," protect the country, protect the people, and protect the imperial concubine. " Mazu was called "Quanzhou sea god" in the imperial edict. Mazu's Poseidon position is further clarified.. Thus, Mazu's position as sea god was established. After that, in order to ensure the smooth water transportation and sea transportation, the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty issued an imperial edict to Mazu many times to pray for Mazu's protection. It is conceivable that the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty made many sacrifices to the imperial concubines in Quanzhou harbor where the Tibetan people gathered.

In the fifth year of Yongle in Ming Dynasty (1405 AD), he sent an envoy to Zheng He, a Western eunuch, and ordered the Fujian garrison to rebuild his temple. Since then, the imperial court sent officials such as Neihuan (eunuch) and zhizhongxing (diplomatic envoys) to Ryukyu, Java, mantika and other countries. In 1415 ad, Zhang Qian, the young governor, sent an envoy to Boni (now Brunei, Kalimantan Island) and set sail from Wujiang River (Shunji bridge area is called Wujiang River) in Quanzhou The name of the palace was changed to "Tianfei Palace".

In 1680 A.D., Shi langzheng took the second place in the Qing Dynasty. It was granted the title of "protecting the country and protecting the people, Miaoling Zhao Ying Hongren and giving alms to empress dowager", and the palace of Hou Yi was named "Empress Dowager Palace". In the 24th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, Yao ya, the Minister of rites, came to the palace to offer sacrifices. In the first year of Yongzheng reign (1723), the plaque "shenzhaohaibiao" was hung in the hall. It was rebuilt after Qianlong reign. The building group also preserves the Song Dynasty components and the Ming and Qing Dynasties wooden buildings. It is the world-famous historic site with the highest scale and the earliest age among the similar buildings at home and abroad. It was announced by the state as the national key cultural relics protection unit in 1987.

In the Qing Dynasty, private trade and the upsurge of immigration to Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan further rose in Quanzhou port. Mazu belief also spread more widely with the footprints of Quanzhou businessmen and immigrants. According to historical records, Quanzhou businessmen have traveled all over the world. The Pearl of the South China Sea, the jade of Yuetang, is everywhere; the land of tattoo, the country of carving, is everywhere. " In Quanzhou, every time the merchants went there, they would build a guild hall and invite Mazu to worship from their hometown. There are many commercial suburbs such as Su, Ning, Fu, Liao suburbs in Quanzhou Tin Hau palace, and there is also Lugang suburban court nearby. Every time Tianhou palace was built, all the major commercial suburban Guildhall gave full support to show their piety.

According to statistics, there are more than 800 Mazu temples in Taiwan. Mazu believers account for three-quarters of the total population, which can be called Mazu faith

Chinese PinYin : Quan Zhou Tian Hou Gong