The sculpture of legendary goddess Mazu housed in her ancestral temple on Meizhou Island in east China's Fujian Province will visit Macao for the first time this autumn.

At the invitation of the Zhonghua Mazu Culture Foundation in Macao, the sculpture will leave for Macao in October, said Tang Bingchun, deputy director of the administrative committee of Meizhou Island. Before setting out, there will be a grand ceremony in the temple in Meizhou.

Mazu, a legendary figure believed to be the goddess of the sea, is worshipped among Chinese people in coastal areas around the world.

The sculpture of Mazu paid visits to Taiwan twice in 1997 and 2002. During its first trip to Taiwan in 1997, more than 10 million believers there paid respects to it, setting a record in the number of participants in cultural exchange activities between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Mazu was believed to be born in Meizhou Bay in Song Dynasty (960-1279). She was worshipped mainly because of her bravery in fighting against pirates and saving many lives from the sea.

There are over 4,000 Mazu temples in 20 nations and regions in the world and the number of followers of Mazu reached more than 200 million worldwide.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2004)