Look who has the thickest sliceThe walls of Ah Bei's office are jammed full of photos of Ah Bei posing together with the chairpersons of various major Matsu temples in Taiwan.
If you walk on beyond the Mother Temple's main entrance, you might notice that most of the edifices are inscribed with the donors' names. Stepping up 323 stone steps, and looking up, you'll see the towering gate constructed on behalf of Tachia's Chenlan Temple. After passing through the main square, you'll find that the bell and drum pavilions situated on the left and right are dedicated by two business people, a brother and sister from Taiwan surnamed Chen. Turning left from the front hall, you're bound to come across the Adornment Pavilion (used to give the goddess her makeover before processions), which was put up by the collective contributions of the believers of Hsinkang's Fengtian Temple. On the path proceeding upward is the Chaotian Pavilion, situated behind the front hall and provided for by the worshipful donations of Lukang's Empress of Heaven Temple. And the 14-meter-tall pure-white marble Matsu statue which stands at the pinnacle is a gift of the Chaotian Temple in Peikang, where a completely identical marble statue stands gazing toward its twin across the Taiwan Strait.
In order to earn more authority, Matsu temples have long made competing claims to be the first in Taiwan. Nowadays, they compete with each other to tie up kindred knots with the Mother Temple to perpetuate their leading positions. Some temples have even asked the Meizhou Mother Temple to inscribe plaques for them with such titles as "First Matsu in Taiwan" or "Original Matsu." Nevertheless, being concerned not to offend any given temple, the Mother Temple has naturally declined the demand to "clarify their identity."
Where was Matsu Born?While Taiwan's temples are competing with one another to lavish cash on Meizhou, several managers of the prestigious Matsu temples can't help but feel somewhat out of kilter.
"Meizhou is the sacred place of Matsu's birth, but Quanzhou is the base from which the Matsu faith spread to Taiwan," says chairman of Quanzhou's Empress of Heaven Temple Huang Bingyan. "Not to mention that when Meizhou was in a state of ruin, Taiwan's temples had already been coming to Quanzhou to search for their roots." Comparing the graceful architecture of Quanzhou's Empress of Heaven Temple, with its mix of Song style and Ming structure, to the entirely new constructions of Meizhou's temple complex, Huang Bingyan calls attention to the fact that the Mother Temple was still able to be appointed as a major province-level protected historic site, and with a tone of competitive spite, he adds, "That's just for raising the status of the Mother Temple. It's not very persuasive."
According to the Lin family genealogy, Xianliang Harbor, located on the mainland directly across from Meizhou Island, is the birthplace of Matsu, and both parties have been constantly disputing their claims. "Although long ago there was conflict over which locale was Matsu's birthplace, before the 1980s both the temples were quite at peace, and each had their own followers," states Jiang Weitan of the Putian City Literary and Historical Society.
What's in your heartIn the beginning there was only one Matsu. But within the special milieu of cross-strait politics and economic opportunity, some folks have begun to contend for fame and others to fight for money. In the end, a great deal of disturbance and turmoil has been generated; the Mother Temple is no longer just a simple place of worship. But to the inhabitants of Meizhou Island, it's as if nothing has happened at all.
In the early morning of the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar, some old ladies, dressed in Matsu suits, their trousers half black and half red, and their hair done up in "Matsu dos" (modelled after sailboats), were going to the Mother Temple to worship. On the sacrificial table was laid a simple offering of noodles, rice and oranges. One old lady laid down two red eggs. It turns out that she came here to thank the goddess because her wish to have a grandson was fulfilled. This is a big event in mainland China, where the one-child policy prevails.
One woman in her early thirties pulled out a jug of wine and four bowls that held flour gluten, dates and mushrooms. The sacrificial offerings were simple, but the worshipper's manner was entirely solemn and sincere. It happened that her husband and neighbors had bought a new fishing boat. She came here to ask for a talisman for her man to ensure his safety on the sea. It so happened that a Taiwanese pilgrimage group arrived here with mediums. When asked what she thought of the ostentation and extravagance of Taiwanese believers, she gave a simple reply: "It's nothing much. Whether you offer a lot or just a little, it's all to show your respect. lt's just an expression of what's in your heart." Her demeanor was neither humble nor haughty.
One Matsu temple is undergoing renovation in the village on the island. The one in charge collected RMB 10 from each person in every household. He got 50,000 altogether, not even close to the full amount needed. But the villagers did not force themselves to make any unnecessary sacrifices. Laughing, they said if they didn't have enough money, they still could put it up slowly, buying the building materials one batch at a time with the money they had. If the money was not there, there was no way of forcing a big temple into existence! Generation after generation of Meizhou people have been worshipping their Matsu in such an easy manner.
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Since ancient times, the residents of Meizhou Island have devoutly paid homage to their goddess Matsu. No matter how many new titles are given to her, Matsu will always be their most intimate "auntie."
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Along the little path that has no street lamps, the womenfolk reverently kneel down, setting rice husks aflame to light the way for Matsu.
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Amidst the voluminous din of gongs and drums, the mediums face ten enormous sparklers, acting out the ritual of "eating the fire blossoms" and bringing the celebrative atmosphere to its apex.
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RMB bills of 5 and 10 cover the statue of Matsu, clustered like paper flowers. Although the denominations are not large, the gifts serve to express what is in the hearts of the believers.
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Such a magnificent display is still only the effort of the local citizens of Meizhou Island. If this were Matsu's birthday, when people from all over come to worship, the entire Mother Temple would be enshrouded in a fog of incense smoke.
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At Quanzhou's Empress of Heaven Temple, workers rush to finish this wood carving of Matsu, destined for Taiwan, where it will become the island's "largest" statue of this kind. Such attitudes which place a premium on size have given rise to the many strange "Matsu phenomena."
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This was once a patch of scorched earth. Today it is the site of the sprawling Mother Temple complex. The Matsu statue which stands upon the mountain top is bound in a mutual gaze with its distant twin sister at the Chaotian Temple in Peikang. (Courtesy of Meizhou Island Travel Company)
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The lanterns are lit, the gongs are sounded. Even if the times are different and lifestyles are changing, the supplications made to Matsu are the same, generation after generation.