Named after the goddess Mazu, the Matsu Islands are composed of dozens of islands, including Nangan, Beigan, Juguang, and Dongyin. The chain occupies the northernmost edge of the Taiwan-Penghu-Kinmen-Matsu area at the west-northwest side of the Taiwan Strait, just a stone's throw from mainland China. During the opposition to the mainland communist regime, Matsu served as Taiwan's front-line defense, turning the island landscape into battlefield scenes of psy-war slogans, defensive tunnels, and troops.