Followers carry the statue of the goddess Mazu as it leaves the Meizhou Mazu Ancestral Temple on Meizhou Island, Fujian province, for its journey to Thailand on Nov 13. [Photo/Xinhua]

"More and more people in Thailand are getting interested in the Mazu culture, and through Mazu they are gaining a deeper understanding about the Chinese culture," said Wu Hongyan, vicechairman of Thailand Quanzhou Jinjiang Union, who escorted the Mazu statue to Bangkok.

Noting that Mazu enjoys widespread popularity in Thailand, Arrun Boonchai, assistant permanent secretary at Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said at the welcoming ceremony he appreciated that he and his compatriots could see Mazu in person.

Arrun added that he hoped such activities would increase cultural exchanges between Thailand and China.

Also a human

Ferried across the sea, carried by bus and flown economy class-the journey of the revered goddess' statue to Thailand was a reminder to many people that Mazu was once an ordinary human.

Mazu was a young woman named Lin Mo who is believed to have lived during the 10th century on Meizhou Island, where she dedicated herself to helping people in need. She died at the age of 27 attempting to rescue shipwreck victims.

She was deified, and locals regarded her as the goddess of the sea who could bring peace, wealth and good luck. Before heading to the sea, sailors and fishermen would venerate her statue and pray for her protection, in the hope they would return home safely and with a big catch.