Name: Mazu: Sea Goddess who intercepted an American Bomb
Uploaded: 2024-03-01T10:43:12.000Z
Duration: 14 min 34 s

Hi, Today I want to talk  about Mazu aka Lin Moniang,  

who is a widely worshiped Goddess in Taiwan,  Mainland China, and other Asian regions.

Even though she's super popular in  East Asia, not a lot of people in  

the English-speaking world know about her. Most of the info about Mazu is in Chinese. 

Lucky for you, I speak Chinese, so I  thought it'd be awesome to gather some  

cool facts about her and share them with you  in English. So, are you ready? Let's dive in!

Mazu, also known as the Lin Moniang, is  a revered deity in Chinese folk belief.

The belief in Mazu has spread  throughout the coastal regions of  

Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan,  the Shandong Peninsula, and Tianjin.

It has also been transmitted to Taiwan, the  Ryukyu Islands, mainland Japan, Singapore,  

and beyond by immigrants from these areas.

Mazu is also known as the Heavenly holy  Mother（天上聖母）, and by several other titles.

Mazu's story began in 960 AD on Meizhou  Island, where she was born to the Lin  

family. From a young age, she was said  to displayed supernatural abilities,  

leading a life devoted to spiritual practice.

Renowned for her intelligence and taciturn nature,  

she was a practitioner of both Taoism and  Buddhism who is said to have used her deep  

spiritual insights and powers to predict and  influence the fortunes and misfortunes of  

sailors and fishermen, guiding them away  from storms and leading them to safety.

Her ability to forecast weather and protect  those at sea earned her the title of Sea Goddess,  

with countless temples and shrines dedicated  to her worship, especially in coastal regions.

After her death, Mazu is said to have ascended  to heaven and become a goddess due to her acts  

of bravery and kindness. It's said that she  continued to protect sailors and fishermen,  

appearing to them in visions or  dreams to guide them away from danger.

There are even legends where she  manifests in the tumultuous seas as  

a beautiful woman in red, calming storms  and safeguarding sailors and fishermen.

This led to widespread veneration as a  protective goddess of the sea. Mazu is perceived  

as a powerful and benevolent goddess, holding a  significant place in the hearts of her followers.

Her worship was officially  recognized during the Song  

dynasty, with her temples becoming  centers of religious activities.

Mazu holds a place of special  reverence in Taiwanese society,  

especially through the notable  temples dedicated to her,  

such as Dajia Zhenlan Temple, Chaotian  Temple in Beigang, and several others.

There are many legends associated with Mazu,  

which highlight her miraculous powers and  benevolent acts, here are some of my favorites:

The Miraculous Rescue at  Sea with Astral Projection

While Mazu still living as a mortal named  Lin Moniang, in the year she turned 16,  

her father and brothers encountered a violent  storm at sea during a trading journey.

While she was at home weaving,  Lin Moniang sensed their distress.

Instantly, she performed Astral Projection,  soaring over the ocean to their rescue.

She managed to hold onto her father with her arms,  

while gripping her brother's belt in her  mouth. Meanwhile, back at home, her mother  

found Lin Moniang motionless beside the loom and,  fearing the worst, began to cry out in despair.

Lin Moniang quickly responded,  waking up with tears in her eyes,  

and recounted the entire ordeal to her mother.

Three days later, her father  returned with the news that,  

while she successfully saved her father,  her elder brother had tragically perished,  

exactly as Lin Moniang had described,  leading the family to realize that  

Lin Moniang was extraordinary, possessing  abilities beyond those of ordinary people.

Battle with the Demons ( who  later became her guardian spirits)

There is a legend that once Mazu, saw a young  and beautiful girl being carried in a sedan  

chair to be offered as a sacrificial offering  to appease two powerful demons terrorizing a  

mountain village, demanding a beautiful girl as  a sacrifice each year to cease their misdeeds.

Lin Moniang resolutely took the place of  the girl and was carried forward to the  

sacrifice. The two demons, delighted by Lin  Moniang's beauty and grace, were overjoyed.

However, she showed no fear  and solemnly told them,  

"You must abandon your wicked  ways and stop harming the people."

The two demons, considered her  merely a mortal woman, paid no heed.

Lin Moniang, seeing that these  demons were stubborn and unrepentant,  

deemed it necessary to teach them a  lesson and challenge them to a battle.

The demons, towering and as strong as oxen,  immediately took up a fighting stance.

Unexpectedly, after only a few moves,  

they were all thwarted by Lin  Moniang, whose power was superior.

Realizing they were at a disadvantage and  attempting to retreat, Lin Moniang pointed  

her finger toward the sky, and a gigantic  rock weighing thousands of pounds flew down,  

At this moment, the demons knelt and  begged for mercy, willing to renounce  

their evil ways and follow Mazu forever,  assisting her in her righteous deeds.

These two demons are now known as the guardian  

spirits Qianliyan(千里眼) and Shen  Feng Er (順風耳) who assist Mazu.

Qianliyan(千里眼) can see anything  from thousands of miles away,  

his job is to watch over the world to  see who needs help and report to Mazu.

Shen Feng Er(順風耳) has the ability to  hear sounds from great distances his  

job is to listen to the world's  cries and also report to Mazu

They combined their exceptional powers,  with Qianliyan's unparalleled vision and  

Shun Feng Er's extraordinary hearing,  to form a vigilant duo that serves Mazu,  

ensuring no call for help goes unnoticed  and aiding in her mission to protect and  

assist those in peril, especially  across the vastness of the seas.

The legend of "Bomb Mazu" emerges from a  period marked by the turmoil of World War II.

During this time, Taiwan found  itself under Japanese rule,  

a strategic outpost in the vast  Pacific theatre of conflict.

As a consequence of its occupation,  the island became a target for  

American bombings aimed at crippling the  Japanese military's reach and resources.

Amidst this backdrop of war and destruction,  where fear and uncertainty clouded daily  

life, the legend of Mazu catching  a bomb transcends mere folklore.

As the legend goes, in the northeastern part  of Zhu Tang Township's Wu Zhuang Village,  

the area suffered heavily from  air raids by American planes.

It is said that at that time, the  American forces dropped a 500-pound bomb,  

and a woman dressed in red appeared in the  sky, catching the bomb with her hands and feet.

Afterward, villagers discovered that  the statue of Mazu in the Pi Tou He  

Xing Temple(埤頭合興宮) had a broken right  index finger and a left shoe fallen off.

Therefore, the local residents believed  that the bomb was caught by Mazu,  

which led to Mazu of the He Xing  Temple being called "Bomb Mazu."

This story, known as "Bomb Mazu," is not unique to  Changhua but echoes through temples across Taiwan.

There are many versions of the story about “Bomb  Mazu” . Each version carries the same essence—a  

goddess's refusal to let her people suffer,  a testament to Mazu's enduring protection.