According to historical records, a millennium ago a bright and well informed meteorologic and medical specialist named Lin Mo lived on Meizhou Island. The young woman was respected for her knowledge of maritime conditions, and her kindhearted assistance to those needing rescue or recovery from the sea’s perils. For the latter she was revered and worshipped by her people. Locals built her a memorial on the island, the world’s first Mazu Temple, which has been duplicated around the country and the world to serve her growing number of worshippers.

Golden Triad

The island, with its soothing enchanting seascape, has more than the birthplace of a cult to offer. Sun, sand and sea form the golden triad of the island. Meizhou has a typically mild subtropical marine monsoon climate, with an annual mean temperature of 20 degrees Centigrade. Along its 30-kilometer coastline there are 13 high-quality fine sand beaches and five kilometers of rocky shores. Grotesque rocks, mountains, the sea and the sky are juxtaposed and blended to compose diversified natural spectacles. Among the famous scenic spots are those called “Tidal Music,” “Golden Beach,” “Goose Tail Mountain,” “Solar Vein Pit,” and “Oxen Head and Tail.”

The whole island is the haven of holidaymakers, but the magnificent Golden Beach is worth a particular mention. Its vast and lustrous surface resembles the ripples of the calm sea and slopes gently into the waters, providing an ideal site for sunbathers and water sports fans. Those who want to stay away from the burning sun can enjoy the whispers of the waves under the shades of the green woods on shore. In the evening, they can take a walk along the shore and chase the glow of the setting sun. The sun stages a natural spectacle morning and evening as it dramatically rises above or sinks below the horizon. Spreading or withdrawing its glow over reefs, rocks, beach and wood, it leaves behind a picture perfect landscape for the magic touches of an artist’s brush.

The South Shaolin

The Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Kungfu in northern China’s Henan Province are famous worldwide for martial arts demonstrations. The South Shaolin Temple in Putian is also a Buddhist martial art must-see. The Chinese distinguish the two temples by adding “South” or “North” and identify the two Kungfu schools as the “Fist of the South” and the “Kick of the North.” The South Shaolin is a cultural heritage of the Zen Sect of Buddhism and the birthplace of Shaolin boxing.

The temple was first built in 557, during the Southern Dynasties, as the Linquan Yuan (Forest and Spring Yard). After Li Shimin (599-649) ascended the imperial throne in the early Tang Dynasty, a group of rebels led by Lu Decai fled to the southeast coast. They fell to pirating and ravaged fishing villages, reputedly descending quickly on a target and dispersing in no time at all, so the rumor spread that catching them was impossible. Li Shimin knew that if he sent an army to wipe them out, it would be as futile as punching fleas with a fist. So the emperor entrusted the mission to Monk Tanzong, abbot of the Shaolin Temple (Henan). The emperor had conferred on this man the title “Great General” in recognition of and gratitude for rescuing him from a dangerous situation. The lauded abbot dispatched 500 martial monks led by Master Daoguang, one of the 13 cudgel-stick gurus of the Shaolin. After the pirates were handily wiped out, Li Shimin ordered the construction of a branch Shaolin Temple in Putian as another commendation.