Meizhou is the place where the Matsu religion originated; therefore, Meizhou is to Taiwanese believers what Mecca is to Muslims--the fountainhead of their faith.
湄洲是媽祖信仰的發源地，因此在台灣信徒心中，湄洲就有如回教徒心中的麥加一般，是媽祖信徒的聖地。