
Shui Wei Sheng Niang (;
pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...
: ''Shuǐ wěi shèng niáng'';
Thai: ''Chaomae Thongkham'', ''Chaomae Thapthim'') is a Hainan
goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...
that is worshiped by the Hainanese around the world, especially they who lives on the waterfront area. She is often worshipped with
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. ...
and 108
Xiongdi Gong
Xiongdi Gong (Hanzi=兄弟公; pinyin=''xiōngdì gōng''; Hokkien=Ya Ti Kong) or 108 Saints (Hainan 108 Brothers) are the Shen (Chinese religion), protector deities of seafarers. They are usually worshiped along with Shui Wei Sheng Niang at Chin ...
. Her cult was spread along with Hainanese
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews afte ...
in the end of
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
. Her birthday is celebrated on 15th day of the 10th month of the
lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...
.
Legend
Her First temple
Legend has it that a fisherman named Pan lived in
Wenchang county
Wenchang ( postal: Mencheong; ) is a county-level city in the northeast of Hainan province, China. Although called a "city", Wenchang refers to a large land area in Hainan - an area which was once a county. The urban center and the seat of govern ...
,
Hainan Island
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slight ...
. One day while fishing out at sea, he caught a block of wood which he threw back into the sea, but he caught it again the next day. This happened repeatedly for a few days. As a result, Pan decided to bring the block of wood back to his home. He felt that the block of wood had a magical power and thus prayed to it, asking to be blessed with a great catch the next day. He promised that he would build a temple to enshrine the wood if his prayer were to be granted. Pan's prayer was actually granted. He came back from his fishing trip with a huge catch. However, Pan did not have enough money to build a temple, so he left the wood outside his house by the pig sty and forgot all about the promise he made. The next day, his pigs went ill and his neighbors saw a woman sitting on the branch of the
longan
''Dimocarpus longan'', commonly known as the longan () and dragon's eye, is a tropical tree species that produces edible fruit. It is one of the better-known tropical members of the soapberry family Sapindaceae, to which the lychee and rambu ...
tree near his house. It made him remember his promise to the block of wood. He informed his neighbours of the incident and they all raised funds for the construction of the temple and prayed to ask where they should build the new temple. Suddenly a child came by and showed them the location of where the temple should be built. That temple would then be the first temple for Goddess Shui Wei.
[
]
Title from palace
A Hainanese scholar named Zhang emerged third in the imperial examination during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor
The Daoguang Emperor (; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), also known by his temple name Emperor Xuanxong of Qing, born Mianning, was the seventh Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigni ...
during the Qing Dynasty. One day, the emperor visited Hainan Island and became very ill. The imperial court sent a messenger to summon Zhang but he was already warned by the goddess in a dream that the emperor would soon pass on. A week later after returning to Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, the Emperor died. This miraculous event led the new Emperor, Xianfeng, to bestow the goddess the title of ''nán tiān shǎndiàn gǎnyìng huǒ lěi shuǐ wěi shèng niáng'' (南天闪电感应火雷水尾圣娘).[
]
Cult
The worship of the Goddess Shui Wei is unique to the Hainanese community. She is widely worshipped by Hainanese immigrants who migrated to other countries by sea, as she is believed to be the protector of sea travelers. Her worship is popular in Southeast Asia, where her believers and temples can be found in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Thailand
Almost every Hainanese household on the northern part of Thailand have an altar dedicated to the Goddess Shui Wei. In Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, she is known as ''Caw Mae Thab Thim'' ( th, เจ้าแม่ทับทิม; ; lit: "ruby godmother"), but the Hainanese community of the Wang Thong market prefer addressing the goddess as ''Caw Mae Thong Kham'' ( th, เจ้าแม่ทองคำ; ); lit: "golden godmother"). ''Caw Mae Thong Kham'' has a more local sense than ''Caw Mae Thab Thim'' and even the non-Hainanese communities of Wang Thong market feel a sense of belonging to the goddess cult.
However, most Thais including Thais of Chinese descent, still confuse her with Mazu. They are often referred to collectively as ''Caw Mae Thab Thim'' because they wear the same red dress.
Indonesia
The cult of the Goddess Shui Wei is spread along the Hainanese communities in Indonesia. The oldest Chinese temple in Bali, Caow Eng Bio Chinese Buddhist Temple at Benoa Cape, enshrines her as the main deity of the temple along with the 108 Xiongdi Gong
Xiongdi Gong (Hanzi=兄弟公; pinyin=''xiōngdì gōng''; Hokkien=Ya Ti Kong) or 108 Saints (Hainan 108 Brothers) are the Shen (Chinese religion), protector deities of seafarers. They are usually worshiped along with Shui Wei Sheng Niang at Chin ...
. Another temple that worships her as the tutelary deity is Cao Fuk Miao at Denpasar
Denpasar (; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali, Denpasar has e ...
.
See also
* Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be fill ...
References
{{reflist
Chinese goddesses
Sea and river goddesses
Folk saints
Tutelary deities