The two ends of the sea, the heart of Mazu: the sisterly relationship between Green Island Tianhou Temple and Taitung Tianhou Temple

Mazu came riding the wind and waves, and faith is like the tide, flowing between the sea and the sea. In the eastern part of Taiwan, there are two Tianhou Temples, facing each other across the sea, one in Taitung, the main island, and the other in Green Island, an outlying island. Although they are separated geographically, they are blood-related because of Mazu - they are sister temples, jointly guarding the peace and hope between the sea and the sky. Green Island Tianhou Temple, standing quietly in Nanliao Village, is the most important patron saint in the hearts of the island residents. Whenever fishing boats go out to sea, they always go to the temple to pay their respects; whenever wind and waves come, people also pray to Mazu for protection as soon as possible. Although Green Island is small, the incense of the Queen of Heaven has given the island a sense of stability. Taitung Tianhou Temple, located on Zhonghua Road in the urban area, is one of the earliest Mazu temples in Taitung. The temple is solemn and the incense is prosperous. It has gone through a hundred years of wind and frost and its divine power has not diminished. It is not only a center of faith, but also a spiritual anchor in the memory of Taitung people. Whether the local residents are going out to sea, moving, getting married or having children, they will come here to pray for peace and success. The two temples have become sister temples because of the separation of Mazu spirits and the inheritance of incense. The annual incense-burning activities allow the friendship of faith to cross the ocean. When the believers of Green Island take a boat to Taitung to burn incense, it is a sincere pilgrimage; when the Mazu of Taitung crosses the sea to Green Island, it is a spiritual return visit and blessing. Such a round trip is no longer a single ritual, but a living history of marine faith. The friendship between the two temples not only witnesses the spread of Mazu culture, but also symbolizes the spirit of the people of the eastern coastal areas facing nature, respecting heaven and earth, and supporting each other. Although the sea is wide, faith is a bridge; although the island is far, Mazu is of the same heart.