The island's clans have been the centers of civil power, and indeed still are, as shown by the facts that villages are still organized largely on the basis of surnames and that there are more than 160 operating clan temples.
以姓氏為主的金門聚落，各姓氏宗祠就有一百六十多座，是台閩地區宗祠最多的地方，宗族力量的凝聚至今不變。