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 during processions held in honour of the goddess’ birthday. The goddess’ image is one of an elderly matriarch donning imperial robe and headgear. The elaborately carved and gilded sedan is an emblem of her supreme authority and adds to her imagery as a ‘Heavenly Empress’. Her guardians bear evil appearances as they were formerly demons subdued by her. Two enormous models of them re-appear in front of the sedan. They are procession idols which pave the way for the sedan’s approach. Like the parasol and plaques, they announce the arrival of the goddess and reinforce her status as an influential deity. The goddess of the sea is affectionately known as Mazu 妈祖 (literally ‘mother ancestor’). She is also referred to by other titles such as Tianfei 天妃, Tianhou 天后 (Heavenly Concubine) and Tianshang Shenmu 天上圣母 (Empress of Heaven). 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). Processions on the occasion of her birthday are still being conducted in some of these countries but their scale varies.
