十五世紀末至十七世紀中期，隨着東南沿海對外貿易的發展，位於龍海市海澄鎮的月 港一度成了“海舶鱗集，商賈咸聚”、“農貿雜半，走洋如市，朝夕皆海，酬醉皆夷產”的通商 外貿港口，被譽為“閩南一大都會”，又稱“小蘇杭”。它與漢、唐時期的福州甘棠港、宋元時 期的泉州後渚港和清代的廈門港，並稱福建古代“四大商港”。直到清初，為統一臺灣，實行遷 界海禁，纔導致月港的衰落，取而代之的是對岸毗鄰的廈門港。

From the end of the fifteenth century to the middle of the seventeen century, along with the development of foreign trade in the southeast coastal areas of China, the Yuegang port was famous for its foreign business. It was praised as the “Xiao Suhang” and “Business center of south Fujian”. The Yuegang port, together with the Gantang port of Fuzhou (Han and Tang dynasty), the Houzhu port of Quanzhou (Song and Yuan dynasty) and Xiamen port (Qing dynasty) were known as the four biggest business ports. However, at the beginning of Qing dynasty, the government banned maritime trade in order to unify Taiwan. Because of this policy, the Yuegang port gradually declined. Instead, Xiamen port next to it took its place.