In former times, Hengchun had a different name, pronounced “Lungchiao”, which was a local aboriginal term for the orchids growing in the local forests to the south of Fengshan. This name, which is also the name of the local aboriginal tribe, was used until 1875. At that time, under the recommendation of Ching Government imperial official Shen Bao-jen, the city was renamed “Hengchun”, meaning “always spring” due to its comfortable year-round climate.
During the 16th century Dutch occupation of Taiwan, Lungchiao was settled by Chinese. In 1661, towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the pirate-warrior General Koxinga sent troops to combat the native people, resulting in the end of Dutch rule.
After Lin Shuang-wen’s anti-Ching uprising of 1786, the Ching Dynasty refused to allow Chinese people to settle in Lungchiao for many years. It was not until the Mudan Incident of 1874, when the Japanese army invaded Taiwan, attacking the local aboriginal population, that the Ching Dynasty realized the importance of guarding the coast in the southern Taiwan. The government started to build up the city, set up an official district, developed the area and reached a settlement with the aboriginals.