Mazu

Goddess of the Sea

Song-era girl Lin Mo of Meizhou, deified as protector of sailors and worshipped across the Chinese world.

Mazu, born Lin Moniang on Meizhou Island in Fujian during the tenth century, is the most widely worshipped sea goddess of the Chinese world. Legends say she could foresee storms and rescue sailors, and after her death at twenty-eight she appeared to guide ships through danger. From Fujian her cult spread with maritime trade and migration across Southeast Asia and beyond.