The place-name is derived from the name of a Taivoan community Lakuri or Lakkuli, which emigrated from Vogavon in Tainan, driven to Kaohsiung by the invasion of Han immigrants and Siraya in the late 17th century.

Due to the invasion of Han in the 17th century, Siraya that originally lived in the plains of Tainan was forced to migrate to Yuchin Basin, which in turn drove Taivoan from Vogavon to Pangliao, Kaohsiung in 1781, reaching nowadays Liouguei in 1799, founding community Lakkuli (Chinese: 六龜里社; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: La̍k-ku-lí-siā), also spelled Lakuri[13][14] or La-ko-li.

[16] The district consists of Sinwei[8]/Xinwei, Xinxing, Xinliao, Xinfa, Laonong, Liouguei, Yibao, Xinglong, Zhongxing, Baolai, Wenwu and Dajin Villages.

The population of Chinese mainlanders mostly consists of retired soldiers and their descendants who stayed behind after the construction of the Southern Cross-Island Highway, mainly residing in the areas of Zhongxing and Wenwu.

According to local records, thousands of years ago, when the ancestors of the indigenous people encountered a typhoon during their sea voyage to Taiwan, it was the highest ancestral spirit, Hagan, who appeared and led them to land safely on the island.