Matsu Islands

The Matsu Islands are an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait administered by Taiwan as Lienchiang County. They lie close to the coast of mainland China.

Connect

Lienchiang County: A county administered by Taiwan that encompasses the Matsu Islands. The islands form this county, whose name is also used for a county on the mainland.
Taiwan Strait: The body of water separating Taiwan from mainland China. The Matsu Islands lie in its northern part, close to the mainland coast.
Nangan: The largest and most populous island in the Matsu archipelago. It is the county's administrative center and a principal transport hub.
Fuqing dialect: A variety of Eastern Min Chinese spoken around Fuqing in Fujian Province. It is closely related to the Matsu Islands' traditional speech.
Matsu worship: A Chinese folk-religious tradition centered on the sea goddess Mazu, also known as Matsu. The islands' name is associated with Mazu, whose worship has deep roots in the region.
Fujian: A coastal province in southeastern China bordering the Taiwan Strait. The Matsu Islands sit just off Fujian's coast, especially near Fuzhou.
Beigan: An island in the Matsu archipelago, north of Nangan. Its airport and settlements connect one of the archipelago's main islands to Taiwan.
Matsu dialect: An Eastern Min variety spoken on the Matsu Islands, closely related to the Fuzhou dialect. It preserves the islands' strong linguistic ties to nearby Fujian.
Chinese Civil War: The conflict from 1927 to 1949 between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang-led Republic of China. The war's outcome left the islands under Republic of China control while mainland China came under Communist rule.
Fuzhou: The capital of Fujian Province in southeastern China. Fuzhou is the major mainland city nearest the Matsu Islands.