Meizhou Island
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History
An open provincial tourism economic region (旅游经济区) since June 1988, in April 1992 Meizhou Island introduced a landing visa policy for visitors from Taiwan. In October of the same year it became a national tourism-vacation region (国家旅游度假区). The island was formally opened to visitors from overseas in October 1999.
Annually, Taiwanese pilgrims come to Meizhou to see the place where Mazu once lived. Under Xi Jinping, Mazu-related pilgrimages have become an avenue for Chinese Communist Party influence operations to promote Chinese unification.
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Administration
Meizhou Island is administered by Meizhou Town, an area that is divided into 11 villages:
- Gaozhu (高朱)
- Xiashan (下山) "Downhill"
- Lianche (莲池) "Lotus Pond"
- Beidai (北埭 dài) "North Dam"
- Dongcai (东蔡) "The East Cais"
- Xiting (西亭) "The Western Pavilion"
- Ganglou (港楼) "The Tower by the Port"
- Zhaixia (寨下) "Lower Village"
- Dayang (大洋) "Great Ocean"
along with three others.
Geography
Located in the northern part of the mouth of Meizhou Bay, Meizhou Island covers an area of 14.35 km2 (5.54 sq mi) and measures 9.6 kilometres (6.0 mi) north-south, and 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) east-west. The beach runs for around 20 kilometres (12 mi).
Tourist attractions
The Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple (天后宮湄洲祖廟) began as a small shrine soon after Mazu's death in the 10th century. It has now been renovated and greatly enlarged to accommodate pilgrims.