The Contemporary Significance of Mazu Culture Seminar Held in Macau

On October 12, the “Contemporary Significance of Mazu Culture” seminar was successfully held, organized by the Macau Chinese Mazu Foundation, as part of the 19th Macau Mazu Culture Tourism Festival series. The seminar invited experts and scholars from across the Taiwan Strait, four regions, and Southeast Asia to focus on the evolution of Mazu culture worldwide, promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning on a global scale.

The seminar took place at 9:30 AM at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macau, attended by Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Yin Rutao, Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Wai Man, Acting Director of the Regional Development Department of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Deng Qingjian, Senior Technician of the Exchange and Cooperation Division, Lin Runqin, Acting Head of the Research and Planning Division of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Lin Jianming, Chairman of the 19th Mazu Culture Tourism Festival Organizing Committee, Chen Mingjin, Executive Chairman Yan Yiping, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University of Macau, Kong Fanqing, Assistant to the President of Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj University in Bangkok, Thailand, THITAPHA SAUER, and Director of the Cross-Strait Cultural Research Exchange Center of the University of Macau, Wang Zhong, among others.

In his speech, Chen Mingjin stated that the Mazu belief has spread for thousands of years, evolving from a local sea goddess worship to a global culture with over 300 million followers across more than 50 countries and regions. This is a result of the continuous localization and creative evolution of the belief in different regions, times, and social environments. Over the past 20 years, with strong support from relevant central departments and the Macao SAR government, the Macau Mazu Culture Tourism Festival has successfully held 18 sessions, attracting groups and temple guests from the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong, Macau, and countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road, becoming an important platform for economic cooperation and cultural exchange, fully reflecting the SAR government’s high regard for the role of Mazu culture in promoting cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and economic ties.

He continued, stating that Mazu culture transcends thousands of years, connecting hearts across the seas. From the original intention of the fisherwoman Lin Mo Niang of “virtue, kindness, and great love” to today’s technological “Mazu” safeguarding global livelihoods and watching over countless homes, the spirit of Mazu continues to thrive with vigorous vitality in keeping pace with the times. He hopes to work hand in hand with compatriots at home and abroad, using Mazu culture as a bridge and the values of the times as guidance to jointly write a new chapter in the inheritance and innovation of Mazu culture, contributing cultural strength to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Subsequently, Wang Zhong read the “Macau Initiative on Inheriting Mazu Culture.” The initiative proposed four major directions: 1. Promote the spirit of Mazu, fostering cultural exchange and mutual learning in maritime civilization and the connectivity of the Belt and Road; 2. Enhance digital empowerment, innovating media and communication methods for Mazu culture; 3. Deepen cross-strait exchanges, consolidating national identity and emotional resonance; 4. Strengthen academic research, constructing a theoretical system of Mazu culture.

【Building an Internationally Influential Academic Discourse System】

The initiative pointed out that Mazu culture is an outstanding representative of the maritime civilization of the Chinese nation, carrying the Silk Road spirit of peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning. It calls for using Mazu culture as a bond to deepen cultural exchanges among countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road; effectively utilizing new media, short videos, and other communication channels to inject contemporary vitality into Mazu culture; deepening exchanges among cross-strait temples, academic discussions, and youth studies to cultivate national sentiment; and gathering the strength of scholars at home and abroad to conduct research on the localization theory, historical evolution, and contemporary value of Mazu beliefs, constructing an internationally influential academic discourse system for Mazu culture.

During the seminar, experts and scholars from across the Taiwan Strait and four regions conducted thematic sharing on the “Contemporary Significance of Mazu Culture.” Lin Faqin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Macau University of Science and Technology, delivered a speech titled “From Mazu Pavilion to Maritime Silk Road: The Historical Context and Contemporary Value of Mazu Beliefs in Macau”; Zhou Anda, Honorary Advisor of the Fujian Association in Hong Kong, shared from the perspective of patriotic community workers in Hong Kong on the contemporary significance of Mazu culture; Du Baorui, a distinguished professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, lectured on “Mazu Belief in the Context of Chinese Philosophy”; Song Junhua, Director of the Research Center for Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage at Sun Yat-sen University, presented a special lecture on “Why Mazu Beliefs are Heritage”; Zhang Huanzhong, Chairman of the Mazu Culture Research Association in Taiwan, shared on “From ‘Original Hometown Beliefs’ to ‘Protecting the Realm’: Theoretical Construction of the Localization of Mazu Beliefs”; Xie Guiwen, a professor in the Department of Cultural and Creative Industries at Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, lectured on “The Significance and Value of Mazu Processions in Taiwan”; Meng Jianhuang, former Dean of the College of Culture and Communication at Putian University, presented on “From ‘Protecting the Sea and Blessing the People’ to ‘Harmony and Coexistence’: The Contemporary Significance of Mazu Culture Dissemination”; Zhou Zhiru, Chairman of the Cultural Association of Tainan City, shared on “The Practice of Mazu Processions and Social Life in Taiwan”; and Zheng Daochong, Vice Chairman of the Anping Cultural and Educational Foundation, lectured on “Translation of Mazu Cultural Relics and Modern Significance—Taking the Penghu Tianhou Temple and Tainan Grand Tianhou Temple Stele as Examples.”

This article has been translated into over 20 languages globally, covering more than 50 countries and regions, showcasing the global influence of Mazu culture. Edited by: Lin Bingbin, Luo Fujin reporting from New York, and reprinted by international news media World Headlines World Headlines. If reprinted, please indicate the source and retain the author information. Thank you for your attention and support.