Legend has it that Mazu is a magical woman who lives in coastal areas. She is strong and often shows her spirit. Her deeds spread more and more widely, and later she gradually became a sea god who could help the poor, also known as Tian Fei and Tianhou.
According to popular reading records in Qing Dynasty, Mazu was the sixth daughter of Lin Yuan, a general of the Five Dynasties. Her name is Maureen. Because she can cross the sea and travel around the island on the mat, people call her the dragon lady. In the Song Dynasty, Maureen ascended to immortality on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian. Later, people often saw her flying in the waves in red clothes, and the locals worshipped her. Later, the court also awarded her a title.
Mazu was different from ordinary people since childhood. "Three Religions Searching for Gods" said: Mazu's mother once dreamed that Guanyin in the South China Sea gave her a pot of flowers. After taking it, she became pregnant with Mazu, but she didn't give birth until 14 months later. On the day when Mazu was born, the air was filled with strange fragrance, which spread far and stayed for more than ten days.
"Putian County Records" wrote: Mazu knew how to worship Buddha when he was a baby. When I grew up, I worshipped a strange Taoist as my teacher and learned the "Xuanzhen Method". Since then, Mazu has the ability to predict good and bad luck, and also treats villagers with superb medical skills.
There are many folklores about Mazu: for example, the story of the goddess saving a ship tells that the fleet that sent envoys to North Korea in the Song Dynasty was caught in a storm at sea, and all the ships sank except the one on which the envoys were riding. Then the red light flashed in the sky and Mazu suddenly appeared. She sat on the mast of the ship, and the sea was calm.
Another example is the legend of pulling weeds to save businessmen. It is said that a merchant ship was unfortunately hit by rocks, its hull was smashed and seawater poured in. At the critical moment, Mazu appeared and threw a handful of grass at the merchant ship. The grass turned into a huge Chinese fir with the wind, resisting the merchant ship and not letting it sink. Finally, the merchant ship returned to the shore safely.
Summary: In Fujian, Taiwan Province Province and other southeast coastal areas, people have great respect for Mazu, and almost everyone knows it.
There is a Millennium Mazu Tempel in Meizhou, Putian, which is magnificent. It is the ancestral temple of all people who believe in Mazu in the world, and people come to worship in an endless stream every year.