Where sea meets land: hydrosocial negotiation and divine agency in Chinese folk beliefs

Modern water systems have progressively stripped water of its symbolic meanings, while socio-hydrological circulation theory redirects attention to water’s cultural significance. Framed by this perspective, this study examines the belief domain of water sociality through Mazu and Chen Jinggu, two sea- and land-associated goddesses in Fujian, to explore the generative mechanisms underlying their functional differentiation and integration at the coastal–inland interface. Hydrological conditions and economic patterns together underpin these belief interactions, with women’s practical needs and literati mediation further shaping the process. The study verifies belief’s critical role in local water-social relations and extends socio-hydrological theory to complex land–sea water domains.