The city was on the sea route in South China and was regarded as the gatekeeper of the Pearl River and Guangzhou.

The inhabitants of Nantou extended south along Taishanwan to Chenwuwei (陈屋围), including Guankou (关口) and Shiqiaotou (石桥头).

In 736 CE, during the Tang dynasty, the city itself was fortified with imperial troops and became known as Tunmen (屯门).

Historic reports suggested that the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He and his crew once sailed pass Nanshan and encountered dangers in the area during the treasure voyages.

In 1573, 7,608 families, or 33,971 inhabitants, who lived around Dongguan prefecture, moved into the town by the order of the government.

The third and most recent was after Shenzhen was designated a Special Economic Zone in 1980, when surrounding areas start to be rapidly developed.

A number of historic buildings, including much of the city walls were again demolished to make way for crammed multi-storied townhouses.

The Shenzhen government renamed the town Xin'an Ancient City (新安故城) and built a museum known simply as Nantou Ancient City Museum in their attempt to revitalize the town as a historic trail.

There are still around 40 buildings in the city dating back to the Qing dynasty or the first half of the 20th century.