마조는 송대이래 많은 사람들의 숭배의 대상이 되었다. 명ㆍ청시대 복건상인은 각 지역에 회관을 건립하여 마조의 신상을 모셨으며, 마카오도 ?潮商賈에 의해 명 헌종 성화년간(1465-1487)에는 마조묘가 건립되었던 것으로 볼 수 있으나, 福建私商의 활동으로 볼 때 경태3년에서 천순2년까지도 거슬러 올라갈 수 있다. 마카오 어민들은 출항할 때 마조각을 향해 배의 안전을 기원하였으며, 돌아와서는 무사귀환에 대해 감사를 표현하였다. 그리고 마조각은 마카오 주민들이 春節 등 축제를 지내면서 모이는 장소였으며, 평소에도 많은 신도들이 참배하여 香火가 끊이지 않았다. 마카오의 娛神演戱활동도 마조각이 중심이었으며, 사회 각계각층이 공동으로 참여하고 있다. 마카오는 동서문화가 서로 교차하고 융합하는 곳이며, 또한 중국본래의 각 지역문화가 융합하는 곳이다. 특히 마카오의 마조신앙은 불교의 강대한 침투와 영향을 받아 마카오에서는 마조와 관음을 함께 숭배하는 것으로 나타난다. 그리고 그리스도교의 영향으로 성모마리아도 숭배하였다. 중국의 경제발전과 더불어 적지 않은 병폐를 초래하였다. 즉 도덕적 상실, 가치관의 혼란, 정신적 기황, 부패, 타락 등 현상들이 수 없이 나타나기 시작하였다. 이러한 사회상황은 치열한 사회경쟁에 참여할 자신을 잃은 많은 사람들이 초능력을 가진 그 무엇에 의존하게 되고, 이러한 민중들의 의식은 오늘날 중국에서 민간신앙이 활성화 되는 요인으로 작용된다.
Folk religion is the most common and important regional tradition in East Asia culture. Today, folk religion is actively rising, among them, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yu(關羽) and MaZu(?祖) worship is the most general phenomenon in China. Especially MaZu is becoming worship subject for millions of people since Song Dynasty. MaZu was born 960, in MeiZhou Island(湄洲島), PutTian(?田) County, FuJian Province, her name is LinMo. She told fortunes for the country people during her lifetime, and she also repeatedly appeared out of the sea for the protection of mariner safety during her after her death. Therefore all the ages conferred Mazu with a title. Then MaZu faith that began from PuTian County according to developing foreign trade spread throughout domestic and foreign with QianZhou(泉州) as the center. Macao, the appellation ‘Macau’ is originated in register of MaZuGe which is in the MaZu tomb is common awareness to Chinese and Western scholar. FuJian(福建) merchant built a hall in each region; it’s for enshrinement of MaZu during the Ming(明) and Qing(淸) Dynasty, and it would build by MingChao merchant XuanZong(憲宗) Chenghua(成化) Era (1465-1487) in Macao, but by FuJian merchant action, construction of Mazu tomb can go way back to 3rd year of JingTai(景泰) through 2nd year of QianShun(天順). When Macanese fishing sail, they were praying toward MaZuGe(?祖閣) for safety of ship, when they come back from their sailing, they were expressing their gratitude of safe and return, at the same time they were also praying to MaZu for the big catches. Therefore it regards MaZu faith as inseparable related to daily life of Macanese fishing. MaZuGe is where Macanese resident gather to celebrate festivals such as Spring Festival and ordinarily many believers has visited MaZuGe, so the incense fire was gone and on. MaZuGe is also the center of WuShenYanXi activity of Macao which amused the Gods; People of all social were attending this activity. Macao is the place of cultural cross and fusion between East and West, also the place of fusion of each local original Chinese culture. Particularly MaZu faith of Macao was strongly influenced by Buddhism, so they worshiped MaZu and the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy together and there was influenced by Christianity, they also worshiped the Blessed Mary. With China’s economic development, the social tendency of seeking material life create loss of moral, confusion in values, mental famine, decomposition and corruption and so on. In this social situation, many people who lost confidence to attend cutthroat social competition start to depend on supernatural power. Today this public consciousness is important factor of revitalization of the folk religion in China.