Answers Found In Ancient Ways

By Mia Turner/Meizhou

Mei Ying is a believer. The 24-year-old taxi driver, dressed in a trendy T shirt and jeans, is an ardent follower of Mazu, the sea goddess of peace. As a child, she was brought by her parents to a temple dedicated to the deity on Meizhou Island, off the coast of China's Fujian province. There, despite living in an officially atheistic nation, she was taught to worship. The goddess, says Mei, "is very receptive and answers all my prayers."

Mazu's benevolence attracts millions of worshippers. As many as 10,000 come each year on her birthday, the 23rd day of the third lunar month. The remoteness of the island--getting there requires a ferry ride and a steep climb in withering heat--does nothing to lessen the level of devotion. The number of visitors has grown so rapidly that a new 3,475-sq.-ft. temple is being constructed nearby.

Survival was once a struggle for the goddess. Her 1,000-year-old temple was razed by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. The temple reopened only in 1988. "For 50 years, the government has fought against religion," says Patrice Fava, a French anthropologist working in Beijing. "Religion has been almost decapitated."

But it is far from dead. Disenchanted with modern society, many rural Chinese are reverting to traditional beliefs. Ancestor halls and temples have sprung up around the countryside. "Life in the villages again revolves around the temple, where people go to ask for things," says Fava. If Beijing cannot come up with responses to their questions, the gods will win out. For Mei Ying, the answers come from Mazu.

--By Mia Turner/Meizhou