The origin of "Liwu" comes from the Taroko word "Tkijig", which referred to the river and the current settlement of Chongde.

Like their northern counterparts, these people mastered smelting and used iron tools, but also mined gold.

[8] Around 300 years ago, a group of Taroko people traveled from present-day Nantou County across the Central Mountain Range into the Liwu River valley due to overcrowding.

Heading east to west, the Taroko's influence spread all the way to the Pacific, until the Truku War with the Japanese forced many of its population into the plains.

The Japanese also established a path for easy access in accordance to the five years plan to governing aborigines.