The Mazu Temple in Penglai Pavilion is one of the largest Mazu temples in northern China. Sitting upright in the middle is Mazu, with a newly molded golden body. Mazu is a sea goddess devoutly worshipped by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. People in the north call her the Sea Goddess Empress. In her hometown area of Putian, Fujian, people affectionately call her ‘Mazu’. Therefore, many palaces and temples dedicated to her are called ‘Mazu Palace’. Compared with the accompanying gods of Mazu Temples all over the country, the Mazu Temple in Penglai Pavilion is extremely special. The Four Sea Dragon Kings serve as attendants for Mazu. The back hall is Mazu’s bedroom. The four characters on the plaque on the door, ‘Blessing on Red Cliff’, were written by Mr. Fei Xinwo, a calligrapher in China. It means that the Empress Mazu bestows blessings on everyone who comes to Red Cliff Mountain. There are Mazu’s beds in the east and west rooms. In the courtyard of this bedroom, there is a very special place. That is, there are four lines of a poem hidden under the eaves of the east and west wing rooms. These are the first four lines of a poem written by Chen Baoguang, the magistrate of Dengzhou during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty: ‘Go straight up to Penglai Pavilion, the first tower on earth. Clouds and mountains for a thousand miles, islands in autumn all year round.’ Opening hours: Open all year round from 08:00 to 17:30.
Penglai Mazu Temple
The Mazu Temple in Penglai Pavilion is one of the largest Mazu temples in northern China. Sitting up[...]
