The Goddess in the South Area - Mazu

　　Mazu is one of the most famous goddesses in Taoism. Since living styles and cultural habits vary in different regions, the goddesses respected are also different. The adoration for Mazu is mainly popular in South China.

　　Mazu is a real person named Lin Moniang. She was born in 960 in an island of Fujian Province. Her father was a local official. She was the youngest child in her family. When she grew up she could forecast many things.

　　Once her father and brothers were going out to the sea, she forecasted they would meet storm in her dream and went rescue them. As her mother woke her up, one of her brothers was dead in the storm. From then on, she became very famous. She often rescued the fishermen in danger and was thus regarded as a goddess.

　　At the age of 27, she was whirled away by typhoon. In order to commemorate her, people began to build temples for her. Later she was apotheosized and her name was spread to the whole Chinese coastal areas.

　　The courts in every dynasty kept on granting additional titles and finally made her the Queen of Heaven to get the highest sacrifice from the government. Afterwards, people endowed her with the power of blessing women's procreation.

　　Even today, the adoration is a popular social phenomenon in Chinese inshore area, Hong Kong, Taiwan and even in Southeast Asia.