Fireworks light up dark sky of Meizhou Island in Putian, East China's Fujian province on Feb 18 to celebrate sea goddess Mazu returning home after a blessing trip. [Photo/Xinhua]

A grand ceremony celebrating sea goddess Mazu returning home after a blessing trip was staged on the Meizhou Island in Putian, East China's Fujian province on Feb 18.

The ceremony also coincided with Lantern Festival and a dazzling array of folk art activities were held to mark the events.

Mazu is the deified form of the historical Lin Mo, a shamaness who lived in the tenth century on Meizhou Island.

In 2009, Mazu belief and customs were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

More than four million Mazu worshippers worldwide pay their tributes to the sea goddess annually on the Meizhou Island, official data show.