The goddess Tin Hau - also known as A-Ma and Matsu - is widely revered in Macau and the surrounding region. Legend has it that centuries ago the goddess, posing as a Fujian girl, saved several fishermen from a raging tempest off the coast of China, in gratitude for which the survivors built the famous A-Ma Temple. Since that time, the goddess has been revered in many ways, most recently in Macau by the A-Ma Festival on the 23rd day of the third month of the lunar calendar. As part of the celebrations, a series of Chinese operas will be held from April 24 to 28 in a specially constructed bamboo shed in the A-Ma Temple Square.
