Despite its renown for this reason, Matsu was long an impoverished island reliant on fishing. But when the Nationalists fled to Taiwan and Matsu and Kinmen became the front lines of the ROC's defense, it took on tremendous political significance. At the same time, the large number of troops stationed there and their buying power also provided the island with substantial business opportunities.
雖因媽祖得名，馬祖卻一直是以漁業維生的貧窮小島，直到民國三十八年國民政府退守，將金門、馬祖兩地當作反共的最前哨後，她再度染上政治傳奇色彩，大量駐軍的龐大消費力也為當地居民帶來豐富商機。