In China, police ask a goddess to resolve disputes (5 photo)

There is an old saying in China: “There are gods three feet above your head,” which means “God is watching over you from above.” (Referring to Chinese units of length, but also roughly equal to a foot.)





A goddess who helps the police is very solemn and monumental

And so, guided by the saying, in 2019, about 10 police stations in the southeastern province of Fujian opened “mediation” rooms in honor of the sea goddess Mazu.

Mazu is a popular goddess of the sea, well known in coastal areas of China and among Chinese communities in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

According to legend, she was born over a thousand years ago in Fujian, originally a mortal girl named Lin Mo. But she had the ability to predict the weather and protect fishermen and sailors from disasters.



This is how she is depicted in old engravings

She died trying to save shipwreck victims, after which she ascended to Heaven and became a deity.

A resident of Quanzhou, also in Fujian, said that locals revere the deity so deeply that they “don’t dare lie in front of her.”

Here’s why the rooms with the goddess have proven incredibly effective!

The Chinese believe that no one, not even criminals, would dare lie in front of Mazu.





Swear by the goddess that you didn't cross on red

Sometimes you didn't have to do anything, just residents would tell their disputes in rooms where portraits of the goddess hung. Her action magically made complainants think that the police would remain impartial and extremely honest, because they judged under her eye.

Often the Chinese demand that each other swear by Mazu, for example, that the merchant gives the most honest price. Merchants really revere her so much that they can't raise prices "with her name on their lips" and deceive customers. But this only works with coastal Chinese, take note.



It turned out that criminals confess faster under the gaze of the goddess from the portrait

In general, the number of quarrels and disputes resolved without lengthy litigation thanks to the "rooms where the goddess looks" has seriously decreased. A brilliant solution!

A ticket for the statue

Another funny little thing. The statue of Mazu in China has an identification number and ID card, allowing her to travel by train and plane to bless believers from all over the world.

Travelers who get the chance to sit next to Mazu statues are considered lucky and will have great fortune.

This goddess also has an earthly incarnation, which was appointed by the people themselves. In 2012, a drama about Mazu was filmed in China, where she was played by actress Liu Tao. The woman got into the character so much that ordinary people appointed her as a goddess on earth.

When she appears, they bow to her as if she were a real goddess (which is embarrassing as hell). And they even write to her social media accounts so that the actress sends them the blessing of the goddess.



That actress is really good as a goddess!