Governmentality through Mediatization of Religion in Communist China: The case of Mazu and Meizhou Island

Field observations and digital ethnography reveal a comprehensive use of popular media in representing goddess Mazu and The Mazu Ancestral Temple in Meizhou Island. This paper analyzes new mediated elements added to the temple's physical and online presence, focusing on how digitalization strategies create a curated and controlled visitor experience for worshipers and tourists under an atheist regime. The central argument is that the mediatization of Mazu worship is shaped by the Chinese communist party’s Sinicization of religion—where religion is formed within a cultural framework—and by recent state policies promoting the digitalization of Chinese culture. These trends are situated within broader developments in religious tourism and heritage management. The study highlights the strategic use of cultural soft power and the tightening of Communist Party control over religion, especially in a digital future context.