中國自古以來就擁有豐富的民間宗教與民間信仰，這些民俗行為的發展演變往往可以反映古代中國的社會經濟活動。其中，發源於中國南部的五通信仰與由此演變而來的財神信仰同發家致富的願景息息相關，可作為一種精神意象反映出信仰地區民眾對金錢財富的渴望程度，進而有可能通過不同區域間的信仰情形異同折射出古代中國的地方經濟發展的差異。
本研究收集中國明清兩代存在五通、財神信仰地區的廟宇分佈數據與在地相關經濟數據，意圖研判清代各區域之經濟發展狀況與各地之五通、財神信仰之相關性。本研究通過敘述統計發現，存在五通、財神信仰地區的平均經濟水平相較於清代全國的平均水平更高，部分印證了此類信仰確能反映民眾更高的求財意願，對應更優的區域經濟水平，其中存在五通信仰地區的經濟水平較財神信仰地區更高。而在針對特定省份內部不同地域進行回歸分析時，僅有廣泛存在五通信仰的省份可觀測到信仰程度與經濟發展程度的正相關關係且結果顯著，而廣泛存在財神信仰的省份僅可觀測信仰程度與經濟發展程度相關性極低且結果並不顯著。本研究認為，就數據而言，更為原始的五通信仰對經濟活動的影響能力強於更為流行化、通俗化的財神信仰。

Since ancient times, China has possessed rich folk religions and beliefs, and the development and evolution of these folk customs often reflect the socio-economic activities of ancient China. Among them, the Wutong worship originating from southern China and the subsequent evolution into the God of Wealth worship are closely related to the aspiration for prosperity and wealth, serving as a spiritual reflection of the desire for monetary wealth among the local populace. This may potentially reflect the differences in local economic development in ancient China through variations in belief systems across different regions.
This study collected data on the distribution of temples related to Wutong and God of Wealth worship during the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, along with relevant local economic data, intending to assess the correlation between economic development in various regions of the Qing dynasty and the prevalence of Wutong and God of Wealth worship in those areas. Through descriptive statistics, the study found that regions with Wutong and God of Wealth worship generally had higher average economic levels compared to the national average during the Qing dynasty, partially confirming that such beliefs indeed reflect a higher desire for wealth among the populace, corresponding to a better regional economic status. Moreover, regions with Wutong worship generally exhibited higher economic levels compared to regions with God of Wealth worship. However, regression analysis conducted for specific provinces revealed that only in provinces where Wutong worship were widespread could a significant positive correlation between the degree of belief and economic development be observed, whereas in provinces where God of Wealth worship was prevalent, the correlation between the degree of belief and economic development was notably low and not statistically significant. Based on the data, this study concludes that the more primitive Wutong worship have a stronger impact on economic activities compared to the more popularized and populist God of Wealth worship.

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