A religious ceremony honouring the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, which was promoted by Beijing as a symbol of cross-strait ties, has caused fresh concerns in Taiwan.
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The goddess is revered as a protector of fishermen and sailors and has millions of worshippers in eastern and southeastern parts of the Chinese mainland as well as in Taiwan.
Last Wednesday, the authorities in Meizhou, a city in the mainland province of Fujian where Mazu is believed to have been born, staged a celebration to mark the 1,038th anniversary of her deification.
The event attracted more than 5,000 worshippers, including 600 from Taiwan, according to the island’s media.
It was followed by a tourist festival and cultural forum dedicated to Mazu on Sunday that was attended by more than 800 academics, officials, overseas business leaders and cultural representatives.
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The authorities said the cult could serve as a “spiritual bond to unite the hearts and souls of overseas Chinese and promote mutual understanding and affinity across the [Taiwan] strait”.
However, before the celebrations, the Taiwanese Mainland Affairs Council warned that “so-called exchanges in a system with no religious freedom would have political purposes”.