This elaborately carved and gilded sedan belongs to a set of procession paraphernalia used during the Goddess of the Sea birthday. Images of the goddess and her two guardians, Thousand–li Eyes (Qianliyan 千里眼) and Wind-Favouring Ears (Shunfeng’er 顺风耳), are carried in a sedan, such as this example, for the occassion.The sedan is an emblem of her supreme authority and adds to her imagery as a ‘Heavenly Empress’. Like other procession paraphernalia - the parasol and the plaques, they announce the arrival of the goddess and reinforce her status as an influential deity.Similar and simpler procession paraphernalia have been used since the late 18th century in the Fujian province for the Goddess of the Sea birthday celebrations. Beyond South China, her devotees are found mainly amongst Chinese immigrant settlements in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and South East Asia (mainly Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia). During the Cultural Revolution, religious activities like these were banned. However, today it continues to flourish in Taiwan and some of these countries but their scale varies.
