Currently, there are over 300 million Mazu believers worldwide, spread across 33 countries and regions. Since the first Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival was established in Macau in 2001, the government has included the festival as a major annual event since 2004, attracting people from all over the world to participate.
【China’s First Intangible Cultural Heritage】
The Mazu culture is the most widespread folk belief in China’s coastal regions and is one of the profound and extensive cultures in China. In 2009, the Mazu belief was included in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, becoming China’s first intangible cultural heritage.
【The Only City Named After Mazu】
Macau, one of the earliest places to spread the Mazu belief, is the only city in the world named after Mazu. The Portuguese name for Macau, MACAU, is transliterated from “Mazu”, and there is a deep historical connection between Macau and Mazu culture.
【The Tallest White Marble Mazu Statue】
The Macanese government built a Mazu statue on the top of the hill at Pedra Branca, standing 19.99 meters tall, symbolizing Macau’s return to China in 1999. This is currently the tallest white marble Mazu statue in the world, carved from 120 pieces of white marble. To promote Mazu culture, the Macau Chinese Mazu Foundation established a temple in Coloane and launched the first Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival in 2001, which received positive responses from both domestic and international communities.
The first Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival was co-organized with Fujian Province, and subsequently, it has been held annually in collaboration with different regions. Since 2004, the government has designated the Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival as a major festival event, making it a cultural tourism highlight in Macau. The festival is held on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month each year, attracting representatives from prominent Mazu organizations and groups worldwide to participate in the celebration.
The Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival closely integrates faith, folk customs, culture, art, and tourism, showcasing the heritage and richness of Macau’s urban folk culture, as well as its vibrant folk customs.
This article is reproduced from Macau Daily.
