Before the 16th century the Taitung plain was settled by the agriculturalist Puyuma and Amis tribes. Under the Dutch and during the Qing Dynasty; a large part of east Taiwan; including today's Taitung Prefecture; was called Beinan.

In the late 19th century; when Liu Mingchuan was the Qing Governor of Taiwan; Han Chinese settlers moved into the Taitung region and established a settlement; Taitung State.

In the time Taiwan was under Japanese rule the central settlement was called Nankyou Village. After World War II it became Taitung Town and in 1976 it was promoted to Taitung City. Pictures From Asia David Henley