Ma Yu Island Tourism - Historical and Cultural Attractions

Located at the mouth of Shantou Port, Ma Yu Island spans an area of one square kilometer. The island[...]

Located at the mouth of Shantou Port, Ma Yu Island spans an area of one square kilometer. The island is equipped with seaside bathing areas and accommodations, making it a popular summer retreat for locals due to its clean seawater facing the open sea.
On the island, there are two Tianhou Palaces, built during the Yuan and Qing dynasties respectively, which is why the island is also called Ma Yu. It is also known as ‘Fangji Island’ because in the old days, when ships sailed past, they would release a live chicken at the Tianhou Palace, leading to the island becoming a kingdom of chickens over time.

In 1860, the British established a customs house here, implementing brutal exploitation and using this place as a departure point for the trafficking of laborers. Many people died from torture before even boarding the ships, and numerous laborer skeletons have been unearthed on the island, serving as irrefutable evidence of imperialist aggression against China.

The highest point on the island is 41 meters above sea level, forming a natural pier for the Bay Bridge. A giant statue of the Goddess is also built on the mountain.

Ma Yin Stone: Upon arriving at the dock, there is a dark brown stone in the sea, unremarkable in appearance, known locally as the Ma Yin Stone, believed to be a relic of Mazu’s transformation into the sea. Strangely, this stone always remains above water, never submerged by the tide.

Old Tianhou Palace: Founded during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it is one of the earliest Tianhou Palaces along the coastal areas of Eastern Guangdong. In the forty-eighth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty,副总兵何斌臣 expanded it, and the inscription he wrote is considered a treasure in the history of Mazu temples and has been re-engraved and embedded in the wall. It was rebuilt in the eleventh year of the Xianfeng era, expanded in 1928, and renovated in 1984 with donations from overseas Chinese, and was reconstructed and completed on ‘Ma’s birthday’ in 1993.

The temple covers an area of 335 square meters, grand and elegant, rich and magnificent, with a stone archway, a large stage, a longevity star stone carving, pavilions, a tablet corridor, and a three-dimensional embedded porcelain platform for releasing chickens.

New Tianhou Palace: Founded in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that a Quanzhou person surnamed Wu, who came to Shantou to run a foreign firm, asked a master to select a burial site tens of meters away from the Old Tianhou Palace. When Wu inspected the site, he suddenly saw a large incense burner, which turned out to be from the Mazu temple and was ‘flown in by itself’. He took the lead in donating funds, and after more than three years, the New Tianhou Palace was built here, larger in scale than the old one.

In 1983, led by the city’s tourism company and with a donation of over 70,000 yuan from Mr. Zhang Bohua, a Thai overseas Chinese from Puning, along with about 10,000 yuan from the company, the temple was collectively renovated. In the same year, an inscription written by Zhang Hua Yun and calligraphed by Gao Yu was erected in front of the temple. The door wall retains the Qing Dynasty’s more than 100 stone carvings and规格 stones, exuding an antique charm.

The dragon pillars are extraordinarily crafted, the embedded porcelain is gorgeous and exquisite, and the wood carvings are superbly skillful.

Dragon King Temple: This is a rare temple in Fujian and Guangdong. Located behind the stage of the Old Tianhou Palace, it was founded in the early Qing Dynasty and renovated in the eleventh year of the Xianfeng era when the Old Tianhou Palace was rebuilt. In 1988, Zhang Defa, the host of the Beihai Palace in Singapore, dreamed that the Dragon King asked him to return to his homeland to repair the temple.

He first returned to his hometown in Fujian to search for the temple but found nothing. Later, he heard about a temple on Ma Yu Island and upon visiting, he indeed found it. He took the lead in mobilizing 108 overseas Chinese to donate and renovate it, which was completed on November 2, 1989.
The Xu family, known for their exquisite porcelain inlay art, including the late Xu Meisan and his son, have created masterpieces such as the ‘Double Dragons Fighting for a Treasure,’ ‘Flowers and Birds,’ and ‘Heroes,’ which shine brightly and are considered one of the representative works of contemporary Chaoshan craftsmanship.

The Goddess of the Sea Stone Statue: Located more than 100 meters south of Mazu Palace, facing the sea, the stone statue of the Goddess of the Sea stands as a symbol of the longing for overseas Chinese to connect with their homeland. Designed by the Shantou Arts and Crafts School and meticulously crafted by the Chongwu Fengyuan Stone Factory in Hui’an, Fujian Province, the statue is composed of 108 stone carvings, symbolizing the desire to release 108 peace doves, praying for calm seas in Shantou Port, prosperity for the nation, and world peace.

Donghai Putuo Mountain Temple: Established during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1774), the temple is situated next to the southeast wall of the new Mazu Palace. The existing rear wall of the main hall is covered with a shed for the worship of Buddha statues. The government’s religious affairs department has approved the reconstruction, and fundraising is underway. Two significant cultural relic inscriptions have survived: one is the ‘Donghai Putuo Mountain’ temple plaque, inscribed with ‘Respected by Yao Gao of the Right Camp of Nan’ao Town in Guangdong’ and ‘Established in the second month of the thirty-ninth year of Qianlong (1775)’; the other is the ‘Kaisan San Si Zhengrui He Gong Lianwei’ stele, which records that the great monk Zhengrui founded three temples (one of which is Donghai Putuo Mountain Temple), revived five temples, built more than 50 miles of roads, and repaired more than 70 bridges, a testament to his great virtue.

Customs: This is the new customs house of Chaozhou, managed by the Chinese, also known as the ‘Changguan.’ It is located on the two bungalows on Yingzaishan. In 1853, during the Xianfeng era, trade between Chaozhou and Hong Kong surged, and the Guangdong customs established a customs house on Ma Yu, building two bungalows each of 150 square meters (a city cultural protection unit). Since a customs house had already been established in Anbu, the one on Ma Yu was called ‘Chaozhou New Customs.

‘ It was moved to Shantou City in 1863 during the Tongzhi era and taken over by the Chaozhou customs in 1901. Seven years later, a Chaozhou customs house was established on the south side of the island near the sea, managed by foreigners, hence also known as the ‘Foreign Customs.’ A two-story foreign-style building was built for the residence of the foreign head of customs and others (demolished in 2002), and a two-story ocean building was built nearby for customs personnel (commonly known as ‘Yinshui Building,’ demolished in 1991 as it was a dangerous building).

Natural Sea Bathing Place: Located on the southeast side, the sea bathing place offers a distant view of Nan’ao Island and a close view of Lu Yu. It is a crescent-shaped bay about 100 meters long. The beach is flat and white, and the seawater is clear and green, making it a perfect place for bathing. The two mountains, Feng and Luan, on either side, are full of strange rocks in various shapes. In the middle of the beach, a small stone peak rises, with cracks resembling petals, hence it is called ‘Peony Peak,’ forming a beautiful scene with the surrounding mountains known as ‘Luanfeng Chao Mudan.

‘ A belt of green trees at the top of the beach provides shade for swimmers. Shower rooms, dining rooms, and restaurants provide various conveniences for swimmers. The sea-eroded shore of the bathing place is inscribed with poems in praise of Mazu by Lai Shaoqi, Zeng Ming’s ‘Qifeng of the Southern Island,’ and Chen Dayu’s ‘Listening to the Waves,’ adding more color to the island.

In addition to its natural beauty, Ma Yu Island boasts historical sites and new attractions such as the Shuangzhong Temple, Bo Gong Temple, Friendship Pavilion, Sea-view Pavilion, and the nearby Lu Yu Lighthouse. These sights are abundant and captivating.

Nowadays, transportation to the island is convenient. Visitors can park at the west-side pier under the Bay Bridge and then take a boat ride, which is approximately 1 kilometer away, to reach the island. Ma Yu Island has become a popular destination for tourists in the Chaoshan area.

The island is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day, with specific business hours subject to the daily opening conditions.