长岛显应宫 中国北方最早的妈祖庙

仙辑

世界上有5000多座媽祖庙，长岛庙岛显应宫（妈祖庙）始建于北宋宣和四年（1122年），是中国北方修建最早、规模最大、影响最广的妈祖庙，也是世界重要的妈祖官庙之一，享“天妃北庭”、“北海神乡”之誉。

妈祖文化与信仰传承千年，有“南有湄洲，北有长岛”之说，长岛妈祖庙（显应宫）与福建湄州岛妈祖庙并称妈祖“南北祖庭”。

显应宫亦称海神娘娘庙，位于长岛所辖庙岛东部，占地90多亩，因明崇祯皇帝御赐庙额“显应宫”而得名，清咸丰皇帝也曾御赐“神功济运”金匾。公元1125年，福建船民移送一尊妈祖铜像供奉于显应宫，这是目前存世的唯一一尊宋代铜身妈祖。

在北方沿海，特别是在长岛，妈祖文化在人们心目中的影响是十分久远而深刻的。人们行船遇风或生病灾，均向妈祖祈祷许愿，脱危后到显应宫还愿。或刻碑，或送匾、送船模、送斗篷衣物，或捐钱财。

由于庙岛群岛的海上特殊地理位置和便利的航海条件，被神化了的妈祖信仰以庙岛为根据地，南传蓬莱及胶东沿海，北经渤海海峡、进入东北和华北北部，再沿朝鲜半岛进入朝鲜和日本等东北亚国家，最终北上穿过白令海峡，到达北美洲地区。

长岛利用妈祖这一独特的海洋文化资源优势，深入挖掘北方妈祖文化历史，为促进两岸及世界文化交流和祖国统一发挥了重要作用，引起国台办和国家宗教局的关注和重视，并将长岛确定为“北方对台文化交流基地”和“中国北方妈祖文化中心”。

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.