Mazu Belief From The Perspective Of "Intangible Cultural Heritage"

In the rapid modernization process of China,the Ma Zu faith,which was originally viewed as "feudal superstition," has gained new vitality under the spring breeze of intangible cultural heritage protection.Organizers of Ma Zu faith all over the country strive to preserve and develop the essence of the faith by "screening," "refining," and "restructuring." This article takes the relevant activities of the A Ban Xiang Ma Zu Culture Museum as a case study,and explores how the Ma Zu faith in modern Chinese society can regain vitality through the "non-heritage" approach,especially among young people.In the new era,A Ban Xiang has transformed traditional Ma Zu faith rituals into a kind of non-heritage cultural performance,with a focus on weakening its mystical attributes as a religion and strengthening its folk entertainment and artistic aesthetic attributes.It introduces the Hanfu culture and online community organization models that young people love,links the Ma Zu faith with modern mainstream values such as patriotism and law-abiding,and uses the Internet and new media technologies as platforms to create a pan-folk culture community.This embodies the Ma Zu faith practice path in the transformation into intangible cultural heritage,in which the government’s presence,the cultural consumption of folk beliefs,and the matching ritual operation transformation deeply reflect that the development of folk beliefs must be in line with the social needs of the current era.