Meizhou Island

Meizhou Island (simplified Chinese: 湄洲岛; traditional Chinese: 湄洲島; pinyin: Méizhōu Dǎo; Pu-Xian Min: Mî-ciu-doh), Meichow;[1] Meichou,[2] is a small island close to the coast of China.

Meizhou Town (湄洲镇) is an administrative unit of Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, China.

An open provincial tourism economic region (旅游经济区) since June 1988, in April 1992 Meizhou Island introduced a landing visa policy for visitors from Taiwan.

[citation needed] Annually, Taiwanese pilgrims come to Meizhou to see the place where Mazu once lived.

[citation needed] The Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple (天后宮湄洲祖廟) began as a small shrine soon after Mazu's death in the 10th century.