the original name of dounan is taliwu (他里霧), which is named after one of the branches of an aboriginal tribe. the development of taliwu had started since the ming dynasty, when koxinga came to taiwan. it is the first place explored by the han chinese in the yunlin area. during the japanese rule period, taliwu was rebuilt as an administrative division under the governance of huwei and renamed to dounan in 1920. in 1946, it became an independent township.