Houchin was a village during the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644), one of the first areas of Kaohsiung to be settled, and is now home to more than 10,000 people and 3,000 households.
民國六十年林園工業區設廠，三、四年後即開始發生公害事件，且年年增多，居民陳情和索賠事件發生十多次，但林園的汙染卻未因此改善。