The Ancestral Temple of Mazu (妈祖祖庙) on Meizhou Island is the mother temple of the Mazu faith — the site where Lin Moniang, born here in 960 CE, was first enshrined as a sea goddess after her death in 987. Every Mazu temple in the world, directly or by lineage, branches from this one; Taiwan alone has over 870 Mazu temples, and the number across Southeast Asia and the Chinese diaspora runs into the tens of thousands.
The complex climbs the island's central ridge in a series of stone terraces and halls. Core items to see: the thousand-year-old camphor Mazu statue (the temple's central focus), Mazu statues in stone, porcelain and jade in side halls, and the Mazu Cultural Park above the temple, capped by the 14.35-metre bronze Mazu statue that faces the Taiwan Strait.
Practical: Meizhou Island admission (included in ferry-linked ticket) covers the temple. Modest dress; no short shorts. Incense is permitted in designated burners. Come before 09:30 or after 15:30 for the quieter windows. For ceremonial days see the separate event entries — the temple overflows with pilgrims from Taiwan and the diaspora.