Passengers of a recent flight from China to Malaysia were somewhat puzzled to be joined by three Chinese deities in their air travel.
Passengers of a recent flight from China to Malaysia were somewhat puzzled to be joined by three Chinese deities in their air travel.
The Chinese god of the sea Mazu Photo:Thean hou temple
On board the Xiamen Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur, was Chinese sea goddess Mazu, also known as Matsu, accompanied by her two guardians, Qian Li Yan and Shun Feng Er. The deities are revered by locals as protectors of fishermen and sailors.
Qianliyan is considered to have ‘eyes that can see a thousand miles’ while Shunfeng’er is believed to have ‘ears that hear from far away.’
Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er. Photo: Thean hou temple
According to The Straits Times, a the price of a plane ticket for the relics was 2,091 yuan (£238) per seat.
It’s thought that they travelled business class due to their size.
Photos show the relics onboard the flight from Xiamen, China to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Photo:Thean hou temple
Images show the relics on board the flight surrounded by fellow passengers. They were flown from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Passengers: The relics even had their own boarding passes with their names on Photo:Dailymail
They were accompanied by a strong entourage of 130 people who are involved in the transfer of the relics.
The Chinese god of the sea Mazu and her guardians Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er Photo:Thean hou temple
A procession was held in Kuala Lumpur before the statues were brought to the Thean Hou temple in Melacca on July 3.
Important relic: The Meizhou Mazu idol is currently on a tour of Malaysia and Singapore Photo:Dailymail
The temple wrote on its website: ‘Mazu will start off in Malacca for a short 3-day trip full of activities, part of the first leg of Mazu’s cultural exchange trip.’
The event marked Mazu’s “revisit” to the Maritime Silk Road, with Malaysia being the first destination for the series of trips lined up for the traveling deities.
Devotees make an offering with joss sticks to the idol of Chinese sea goddess Mazu Photo:Dailymail
“This is basic respect we have for the culture of Goddess Mazu,” a spokesperson who received the statues in Malaysia was quoted as saying.
