人類非物質文化遺產代表作：媽祖信仰
Mazu belief and customs
Mazu is the most influential goddess of the a in China. In 987 AD, Mazu from Fujian Province devoted her life to saving lives in a shipwreck. In her honor, local residents built a temple and began to worship her as a goddess.
媽祖是中國最具影響力的海上女神。在公元987年，來自于福建的媽祖因救海難而獻身，被百姓立廟祭祀。
（Statue of Mazu on Meizhou Island）
With the development of afaring, she gradually became the navigation goddess and gained greater influence in coastal southeast China and some regions in southeastern Asian.
后隨著海運業的發展，媽祖遂成為海神，逐漸成為中國東南沿海及部分東南亞地區的航海保護神。
The custom of Mazu is also known as the Mother Belief, Goddess Belief, Princess of Heaven Belief, Queen of Heaven Belief, Our Lady of the Sky Belief. It is a folk culture dedicated to worship and prai Mazu’s grace, benevolence, and philanthropy, with Mazu palaces and temples as the major venue of various activities, and manifested in relevant customs and temple fairs.
媽祖信仰也稱為娘媽信俗、娘娘信俗、天妃信俗、天后信俗、天上圣母信俗。媽祖信仰是以崇奉和頌揚她的功德、善良、大愛精神為核心，以媽祖宮廟為主要活動場所，以習俗和廟會等為表現形式的民俗文化。
During the long history of development, Mazu culture is spread to coastal cities as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao in our country. It follows the steps of overas Chine to more than 20 countries all over the 5 continents of the world. Mazu culture has strong cohesion power for Chine all over the world, especially in the southeastern districts. After 1000 years, Mazu culture has become an important part of the splendid Chine culture, as well as cultural bridge and spiritual linkage connection Chine people all over the world.
在漫長的發展歷史中，媽祖文化傳播到我國沿海城市以及臺灣、香港、澳門。它跟隨海外華人的腳步來到世界五大洲的20多個國家。媽祖文化對世界各地，尤其是東南地區的中國人具有強大的凝聚力。一千年后，媽祖文化已經成為中華燦爛文化的重要組成部分，也是連接世界各地中國人民的文化橋梁和精神紐帶。
Up to date, the belief has spread to more than 20 countries and regions, and the over 5000 Mazu temples around the world received worships from over 200 million followers. In Taiwan, over 17 million people out of its 23 million population are Mazu believers.
目前，已從湄洲媽祖祖廟傳播到世界20多個國家和地區，在全球擁有媽祖宮廟5000多座、信眾2億多人。在2300萬臺灣同胞中，有1700萬信仰媽祖。
The custom of sacrificial ceremony for Mazu enjoys long history and profound effect. Mazu is very famous, especially in coastal regions, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and southeastern countries, where everybody knows Mazu. Mazu culture and customs in Meizhou is unique and worth studying on and protecting. It is especially important for promoting the communication between Ming Nan and Taiwan. On the Double Ninth Festiv
al (lunar calendar) of 1987, about 100,000 Mazu believers across Taiwan Straits held the “Mazu Ceremony of the Millennium Festival”, which lasted for one week, in the Mazu Temple of Mei Zhou. An academic discussing meeting on memorial of one millennium after Mazu’s death is held, opening a new prelude for the communication between Taiwan and mainland of China.
媽祖祭祀習俗歷史悠久，影響深遠。媽祖非常有名，尤其是在沿海地區，香港、澳門、臺灣和東南部國家，那里人人都知道媽祖。梅州媽祖文化習俗獨特，值得研究和保護。這對促進閩南與臺灣的交流尤為重要。1987年重陽節(陰歷)，海峽兩岸約10萬媽祖信徒在梅州媽祖廟舉行了為期一周的“千年媽祖慶典”。媽祖逝世一千周年紀念學術討論會召開，揭開了臺灣與中國大陸交流的新序幕。
On September 30, 1999, in the fourth ssion of UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, “Mazu belief and customs” was added. This is China’s first belief intangible cultural heritage.
在 2009年9月30日聯合國科教文組織政府間保護非物質文化遺產委員會第四次會議審議，
決定將“媽祖信仰”列入世界非物質文化遺產，媽祖信仰即成為中國首個信俗類世界遺產。
