Photo Of This Idol Flying Business Class Goes Viral

A statue of a Chinese goddess adorned in brightly coloured clothes and an extravagant headdress has become an online sensation after it was pictured flying business class to Malaysia.

The six-foot (1.8-metre) model of Chinese sea goddess Mazu was pictured strapped into the luxury seat on a flight from Xiamen, southern China, to Kuala Lumpur at the start of a tour of Malaysia and Singapore.

Mazu and two heavenly guardians were escorted by a group of 130 devotees from a temple on an island in Fujian province, believed to the birthplace of the goddess, who is revered as a patron of sailors and fishermen.

The deities travelled at the weekend with Xiamen Airlines -- each business class seat costing 2,091 yuan (about $300). Some seats had to be removed to make space for towering Mazu on the flight.

But after superior treatment on the outward leg, the goddesses had to come down to Earth for the rest of the trip.

They travelled by bus on to the Malaysian city of Malacca, and then down to neighbouring Singapore in the back of a lorry with the devotees following in coaches.

The pictures of Mazu in business class sparked a mixture of mirth and amazement online.