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Jade Matsu statue to be moved to Taiwan
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CNTV, December 13, 2011
Matsu is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors. She is widely worshipped in the south-eastern coastal areas of China.
Recently in Fujian Province, an dedication ceremony of a jade Matsu statue was held on Meizhou Island, the legendary birthplace of the goddess. The sculpture, which will next be moved to Taiwan, is one of two similar statues that will symbolically link believers on both sides of the Straits.
The dedication ceremony of Matsu figure is being held in Meizhou Matsu Temple, with tens of thousands of believers from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan participating. The Matsu statue, made of jade, is more than one meter high, and weighs more than 1 ton. The engraving of the statue took a whole year.
Yu Guoping, sculptor of Matsu statue, said, "I encountered a lot of difficulties such as shortage of time and choosing materials. I always want the best."
To welcome the statue, more than 600 believers of Matsu travelled from Taiwan to Meizhou Island.
Zheng Mingkun, v. chairman of Chen Nan Palace, said, "The Matsu statue will be placed in Chen Nan Palace in Taichung for believers to worship."
After its arrival in Taiwan, the Matsu statue will be shown around Taichung for four days starting from December 14th. The ceremony is expected to attract over ten thousand Taiwan believers.
Meanwhile, another Matsu statue of the same size will be unveiled later and be placed in the Meizhou Matsu Temple, as a metaphor that people across the Strait share the same origin of Matsu culture.
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