China's Leaders Harness Folk Religion For Their Aims  Mercer
9050  Ariana Lindquist for NPR  Cheng Zhigui, 23, is dressed to
perform in a traditional opera during celebrations for the
1050th birthday of folk goddess Mazu on the island of Meizhou,
in southern China's Fujian province. "We perform for Mazu. We
believe she's watching us sing opera. Even if nobody came, she'd
still be watching us," he says.  In China, the vast following of
a folk goddess of the sea illustrates the remarkable rebirth of
local popular religion since the Cultural Revolution. Now,
China's communist leaders are supporting worship of Mazu as
"cultural heritage" and using it to advance their own political
and economic goals.  Folk religion has undergone a remarkable
rebirth since the days of the Cultural Revolution four decades
ago, when all religious worship was banned.  One example of a
folk goddess that has gained an enormous following is Mazu, a
sea deity believed to protect sailors and fishermen. Though she
started as a local folk g