Ceremony held to mark goddess Mazu returning home in Fujian

(ECNS) -- A ceremony celebrating sea goddess Mazu returning home was staged both on- and offline in Meizhou Island, east China's Fujian Province on April 1.

Worship ceremonies also took place at 10 Mazu temples around the world.

Mazu is believed to have lived in the 10th century on Meizhou Island, where she dedicated herself to helping her fellow towns people, and died attempting to rescue the survivors of a shipwreck.

Islanders subsequently built a temple in her honor and began to venerate her as a goddess.

There are more than 10,000 Mazu temples across the world.