Hakka Mazu (Hakka Sea Goddess)

The Hakka have guardian gods of their own — the Three Mountain Kings, the Yimin Ye, Dingguang Gufo. So why worship Mazu, the goddess of the Hoklo too?

The answer lies at sea. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Hakka people from Tingzhou in Fujian and Meizhou in Guangdong crossed to Taiwan and faced the same waves of the Black Water Ditch as everyone else; once in Taiwan, travel back and forth across the strait meant the same sea. Mazu was the shared sea guardian of Taiwan's Han Chinese, Hoklo and Hakka alike — before boarding, the settlers all lit the same incense.

The interesting part is what happened after they came ashore. Mazu followed the Hakka into their hill settlements and slowly became Hakka herself: the rites switched to sutras chanted in Hakka, festivals were accompanied by Hakka bayin music, harvest opera was performed after the autumn harvest to thank her, temple affairs were handed to Hakka ancestral trusts, and many families even wrote Mazu into their genealogies as the family's protector.

The same Lin Moniang who rescues sailors in fishing villages became, in Hakka country, an elder watching over harvests and households. One goddess, interpreted differently by different peoples — that is one of the most fascinating things about Taiwan's immigrant society.

You can tell a Hakka Mazu altar by what's on it. Besides the usual flowers, fruit, cakes and tea, there are Hakka rice treats — mugwort rice cakes, sticky rice cake, red turtle cakes and vegetable buns — and at festivals, Hakka flat rice noodles and salty guangbing biscuits.

The rites differ too: sutras are chanted in Hakka rather than Hokkien, major festivals are accompanied by a Hakka bayin ensemble (a traditional Hakka band), and after the autumn harvest (around the 8th and 9th lunar months) comes the uniquely Hakka "harvest opera" to thank the goddess. Blessings are returned with thanks at year's end and sought anew at the start of the year, in an unbroken cycle.

Many Hakka families count Mazu as their family protector, and weddings, funerals and family gatherings all bring the whole clan to the Mazu temple. In Hakka villages, worshipping Mazu has never been a private matter — it's a family affair.

Hakka Mazu's Holy Birthday: the 23rd day of the 3rd lunar month (the same day as Hoklo Mazu). Hakka Mazu temples hold celebrations that bring in Hakka opera, Hakka food and Hakka bayin music.

Harvest Opera: each year after the autumn harvest (the 8th to 9th lunar months), Hakka Mazu temples stage "harvest opera" (opera performed to thank the gods) — a uniquely Hakka tradition that blends religion and art and draws Hakka descendants who have moved away back home to watch.

Returning and Seeking Blessings: during "returning blessings" at year's end (the 12th lunar month) and "seeking blessings" at the start of the year (the 1st lunar month), Hakka Mazu temples are the center of collective worship for Hakka families.

Hakka Cultural Festivals: Hakka cultural festivals in Miaoli, Pingtung and elsewhere often partner with Hakka Mazu temples, holding Hakka opera, traditional food and cultural talks in the temple squares — a good time to see how Hakka culture is being carried forward today.