Mazu (媽祖) Alternative Names (異名): 媽祖( traditional Chinese ), Māzǔ( Hanyu Pinyin ), Ma-tsu( Wade-Giles ), Má-chó( Pe̍h-ōe-jī ), Mazu, Matsu, Mother-Ancestor( literally ) Mazu (traditional Chinese: 媽祖; Hanyu Pinyin: Māzǔ; Wade-Giles: Ma-tsu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Má-chó·; literally "Mother-Ancestor"), also spelt Matsu, is the Taoist goddess of the sea who protects fishermen and sailors, and is revered as the patron saint who protects East Asians who are associated with the ocean. Her mortal name is Lin Moniang (Chinese: 林默娘; pinyin: Lín Mòniáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Be̍k-niû). She is widely worshipped in the south-eastern coastal areas of China and neighbouring areas, especially Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, and Vietnam, all of which have strong sea-faring traditions, as well as migrant communities elsewhere with sizeable populations from these areas. Names Popular names: Mazu (媽祖, literally "Mother-Ancestor"), or Mazu-po (媽祖婆, "Elder Lady Mazu") Tia...