長島顯應(yīng)宮 中國北方最早的媽祖廟

仙輯

世界上有5000多座媽祖廟，長島廟島顯應(yīng)宮（媽祖廟）始建于北宋宣和四年（1122年），是中國北方修建最早、規(guī)模最大、影響最廣的媽祖廟，也是世界重要的媽祖官廟之一，享“天妃北庭”、“北海神鄉(xiāng)”之譽。

媽祖文化與信仰傳承千年，有“南有湄洲，北有長島”之說，長島媽祖廟（顯應(yīng)宮）與福建湄州島媽祖廟并稱媽祖“南北祖庭”。

顯應(yīng)宮亦稱海神娘娘廟，位于長島所轄廟島東部，占地90多畝，因明崇禎皇帝御賜廟額“顯應(yīng)宮”而得名，清咸豐皇帝也曾御賜“神功濟運”金匾。公元1125年，福建船民移送一尊媽祖銅像供奉于顯應(yīng)宮，這是目前存世的唯一一尊宋代銅身媽祖。

在北方沿海，特別是在長島，媽祖文化在人們心目中的影響是十分久遠而深刻的。人們行船遇風或生病災(zāi)，均向媽祖祈禱許愿，脫危后到顯應(yīng)宮還愿。或刻碑，或送匾、送船模、送斗篷衣物，或捐錢財。

由于廟島群島的海上特殊地理位置和便利的航海條件，被神化了的媽祖信仰以廟島為根據(jù)地，南傳蓬萊及膠東沿海，北經(jīng)渤海海峽、進入東北和華北北部，再沿朝鮮半島進入朝鮮和日本等東北亞國家，最終北上穿過白令海峽，到達北美洲地區(qū)。

長島利用媽祖這一獨特的海洋文化資源優(yōu)勢，深入挖掘北方媽祖文化歷史，為促進兩岸及世界文化交流和祖國統(tǒng)一發(fā)揮了重要作用，引起國臺辦和國家宗教局的關(guān)注和重視，并將長島確定為“北方對臺文化交流基地”和“中國北方媽祖文化中心”。

Mazu culture and belief has been handed down for a thousand years， which is best represented by Meizhou in the south and Changdao in the north. Mazu Temple in Changdao （Xianying Palace） and Mazu Temple in Meizhou Island， Fuzhou are called the“founding temples in the north and in the south” of Mazu.

Xianying Palace， also called the Temple of Goddess Sea， is situated in the east of Miaodao Island under the jurisdiction of Changdao and covers an area of over 90 mu （60 hectares）. It derived its name from the tablet inscribed with “Xianying Palace” bestowed by Emperor Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Xianfeng also conferred a golden tablet inscribed with “Contribution of Magical Power to Transportation.” In 1125 boatmen in Fujian transferred a bronze statue of Mazu and worshipped it in Xianying Palace. This is the only bronze Mazu of the Song Dynasty extant in the world to date.

In the northern coastal area with Changdao in particular， Mazu culture has a lasting and profound influence in people’s minds. When people are caught in a storm or fall ill in their voyage， they will pray to Mazu and redeem their vows in Xianying Palace after they get out of danger by inscribing stone tablets and giving tablets， ship models， cloaks， clothes or money.