Vortrag: "Seefahrt und Religion: Der Mazu-Kult"

In the organizer's words:

On the occasion of the 200th "Jour Fixe", the Confucius Institute Munich is launching a series of lectures on the topic of "Religions and Cults in China's Coastal Zones" initiated by our academic advisor Prof. i.R. Dr. Ptak.

The first lecture, by Roderich Ptak (Ludwig-Maximilians-University), is dedicated to the topic "Seafaring and Religion: The Mazu Cult".

Mazu 妈祖, also known by other names - such as Tianfei 天妃, Tianhou / Tinhau 天后 etc. - is the patron saint of Chinese seafarers. She also fulfills many other functions in the eyes of the faithful. She is worshipped mainly in the coastal areas of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, as well as in Taiwan and Hainan, Macau and Hong Kong, and in several places where overseas Chinese live. Ancient texts suggest that the cult originated in the 10th century. The lecture will trace the main features of its development and gradual spread. Today, Mazu worship is one of the most vibrant forms of Chinese religiosity and can be seen as a binding element between different coastal areas.