MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門
This article investigates why the Chinese goddess Nu Wa—often associated with cosmogony and the repair of the sky—is venerated in Macao in a peripheral space, through an apparently “subsidiary” cult within the local pantheon. The author articulates an etiological and exegetical approach: she reconst...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2005
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40013/2325 |
| _version_ | 1877196271155937280 |
|---|---|
| author | Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| author_autocomplete | Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| author_browse | Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| author_facet | Christina Miu Bing Cheng Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| author_sort | Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 13 |
| container_volume_str | 13 |
| description | This article investigates why the Chinese goddess Nu Wa—often associated with cosmogony and the repair of the sky—is venerated in Macao in a peripheral space, through an apparently “subsidiary” cult within the local pantheon. The author articulates an etiological and exegetical approach: she reconstructs the formation and transformations of the Nu Wa myth from classical sources (from texts of the Warring States period to compilations and works of the Han and Ming dynasties) and relates these literary narratives to their religious appropriation in the Macanese context. Methodologically, the study combines textual analysis, religious history, and an examination of the temple’s functioning, while also drawing on contributions from disciplines such as history, literature, religion, folklore, and anthropology. As a case study, the small Temple of Nu Wa (renovated after fires and today marked by the reconfiguration of urban space) is described, showing how the divine hierarchy in Macao incorporates the goddess into a broader network of Daoist and devotional practices, rather than placing her at the center of the more prestigious maritime “service.” Among the main findings, the liminal character of the cult stands out: the matriarchal nature of Nu Wa persists as an archetypal and ontological image, but is locally reorganized—including her coexistence with Lu Zu—in order to integrate into the territory’s syncretic spirituality. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
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| hierarchy_parent_title | Review of Culture |
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| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| publishDate | January 2005 |
| publishDateRange | 2005 |
| publishDateSort | 2005 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
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| spelling | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 This article investigates why the Chinese goddess Nu Wa—often associated with cosmogony and the repair of the sky—is venerated in Macao in a peripheral space, through an apparently “subsidiary” cult within the local pantheon. The author articulates an etiological and exegetical approach: she reconstructs the formation and transformations of the Nu Wa myth from classical sources (from texts of the Warring States period to compilations and works of the Han and Ming dynasties) and relates these literary narratives to their religious appropriation in the Macanese context. Methodologically, the study combines textual analysis, religious history, and an examination of the temple’s functioning, while also drawing on contributions from disciplines such as history, literature, religion, folklore, and anthropology. As a case study, the small Temple of Nu Wa (renovated after fires and today marked by the reconfiguration of urban space) is described, showing how the divine hierarchy in Macao incorporates the goddess into a broader network of Daoist and devotional practices, rather than placing her at the center of the more prestigious maritime “service.” Among the main findings, the liminal character of the cult stands out: the matriarchal nature of Nu Wa persists as an archetypal and ontological image, but is locally reorganized—including her coexistence with Lu Zu—in order to integrate into the territory’s syncretic spirituality. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles January 2005 Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| spellingShingle | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 Christina Miu Bing Cheng |
| title | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| title_autocomplete | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| title_full | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| title_fullStr | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| title_full_unstemmed | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| title_short | MATRIARCHY AT THE EDGE THE MYTHIC CULT OF NU WA IN MACAO母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| title_sort | matriarchy at the edge the mythic cult of nu wa in macao母權制的邊緣：女娲崇拜神話在澳門 |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40013/2325 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |