清代笨港地區的商業貿易主要以轉口米、糖、油等物品為主。清日交替後,臺灣與中國的貿易往來日漸薄弱,再加上港口淤積,因此整體商貿急速衰退,郊商紛紛撤資,市況不振。不過,就在明治四十一年(1908)縱貫鐵路的開通造就兩面性的影響。一方面因為交通路線的改變,北港的農產品集散功能逐漸遭受取代。另一方面,卻也因與縱貫鐵路相連的私設鐵路鋪設,縮短香客前往參拜的時間,提高香客的意願,因此創造大量旅客同時湧入北港。這也促使衰微的商況逐漸復興、產業進行調整。除原本興盛的油品製造業持續發展外,因應香客需求的線香、金銀紙製造業、經營客棧、物品販賣等行業興起,導致日治時期北港地區的商業發展與朝天宮產生緊密的關係,出現一種「宗教經濟」的形態。這也致使臺灣總督府在興建諸多基礎建設時,必須將其納入考慮,間接加快北港地區的市街計畫的更新,促使出現以朝天宮為核心的市鎮結構。
Ben-gang is a legal intermediary port which traded for rice, sugar and oil. During the Japanese colonial period, Ben-gang was renamed ”Pei-kang”. In this time, Pei-gang's character of town business had declined rapidly because of the transition of trade and the harbor silt. Even more, Pei-kang's town function had turned into a religious center due to the private railway. Private railway not only brought Ch'ao ti'en temple lots of pilgrims, but it also had a contribution to grow up Pei-kang's religious economy.