Source: The New York Sun/Bloomberg news
http://www.nysun.com/article/62672
Taiwan's government is sending a statue of the sea goddess Matsu to New York as part of its campaign seeking membership in the United Nations.
"She is a really well-respected goddess, and we're sponsoring her first trip to the U.S.," a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, David Wang, said in a phone interview. "It will give Taiwan more visibility before the next U.N. session" in New York.
The 386-year-old statue of Matsu from China's Fujian province normally stays in Taiwan's Chiayi County. It's a representation the Taoist goddess of the sea, who according to legend protects fishermen and sailors. The goddess is revered in East Asia, including China and Vietnam, and is known by different names such as Tin Hau in Hong Kong.