Mazu Takes to the Skies with Xiamen Airlines Again: A Divine Journey

“Take it slow, be careful on the slope!” “Keep the movements gentle, no rush.” On the evening of March 10, 2025, a Xiamen Airlines flight welcomed two very special “passengers” - two Mazu statues. Li Xi, a ground service staff member of Xiamen Airlines, was the key person in charge of ensuring the safe transportation of the Mazu statues. He carefully instructed his colleagues as they gently carried the statues into the cabin. Accompanied by a 29-member escort team, the two Mazu statues were set to travel on Xiamen Airlines flight MF841 from Xiamen to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and subsequently to be enshrined at the Xin Xing Sheung Tai Temple and Lạc Hoà Thien Hau Temple in Vĩnh Châu, Vietnam.

To ensure the safe and smooth journey of the Mazu statues, Xiamen Airlines held a special coordination meeting two weeks in advance to meticulously plan the entire process. The airline also maintained close communication with the team leaders. On the afternoon of March 10, 2025, at the international departure hall of Xiamen Airport, a crowd gathered around the check-in counter as the two Mazu statues were escorted in. Given that the statues required manual security checks and the large number of accompanying personnel, Xiamen Airlines had coordinated with the Xiamen Airport Customs, Xiamen Gaoqi Border Inspection Station, and airport security in advance. They set up a dedicated check-in counter and exclusive waiting area for the statues and their escort team, opened a green security channel, and provided priority boarding and full journey guidance services, achieving “zero waiting time” for customs clearance and ensuring the team's smooth boarding.

The two Mazu statues were placed in the first row of the business class cabin, while the escort team members were seated in the front rows. To ensure flight safety, Xiamen Airlines specially customized extended seat belts for the statues and reinforced them with red ropes, ensuring their stability throughout the flight. As the plane took off, this cross-ocean “cultural escort mission” officially began.

Mazu, originally named Lin Mo, is a symbol of the “virtue, kindness, and great love” spirit in Chinese culture. She is not only the guardian deity of the seas but also an embodiment of traditional Chinese virtues, carrying profound cultural significance and serving as an important emotional bond for overseas Chinese. From the Mazu-escorted merchant ships along the “Maritime Silk Road” during the Song and Yuan dynasties to today's cross-border cultural flights by Xiamen Airlines, what has changed is the medium, but what remains constant is the Chinese spirit of “living by the sea and working together with courage.”

Xiamen Airlines has always had a deep connection with Mazu culture and has been a pioneer and practitioner in promoting it. During this year's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference sessions, Zhao Dong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Party Secretary and Chairman of Xiamen Airlines, once again highlighted the promotion of excellent traditional Chinese culture, including Mazu culture. The relationship between Xiamen Airlines and Mazu culture dates back to 1997 when the golden statue of Mazu from Meizhou Island traveled to Taiwan on a Xiamen Airlines flight. Since then, whether it was the 2017 trip to Malaysia and Singapore or the 2019 journey to Thailand, Xiamen Airlines has undertaken the important task of transporting the statues, completing the mission with a high sense of responsibility and earning widespread praise from all sectors of society.

From Meizhou Island to Ho Chi Minh City, and from the Fujian-Taiwan air express routes to intercontinental airways, Xiamen Airlines uses every flight path as a brushstroke. It not only transports passengers and goods but also spreads the seeds of civilization and emotional bonds, contributing to the global dissemination of Chinese culture. In the future, Xiamen Airlines will continue to promote Mazu culture through themed cultural flights and the launch of related cultural tourism destination routes, enhancing the sense of identity and belonging among overseas Chinese.