Chaoyang Community is a small village situated at the southern end of Su’ao Township, Yilan County. During the Japanese colonial period, it was known as “Na-niu-a” in Taiwanese and “Na-ni-wa” in Japanese. The community is predominantly populated by Han Chinese people from both Hokkien and Hakka origins, distinguishing it from other mountainous settlements in Nanao that are primarily inhabited by the indigenous Atayal people. Buddhism and Taoism are the main religions in the community, with the Mazu Temple and the Land God shrine located near the water channel serving as the focal points of local worship, where people pray for maritime safety.

Su’ao Chaoyang is bordered by the lower reaches of the Dawan Creek and is adjacent to the Nanqiang Urban Planning Area of Nanao. The Dawan Creek alluvial fan in this area is zoned as a “slopeland conservation area” and designated as “forestry land.” The current land use primarily consists of afforestation and dryland sweet potato cultivation, with dominant tree species including Taiwan alder, liquidambar, and Elaeocarpus. These trees are mainly cultivated for subsequent shiitake mushroom cultivation. In the downstream end of the alluvial plain, the primary agricultural products are rice, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and corn. In the past, the area was known for its abundant production of cantaloupe, but due to the high cost of pesticides in cantaloupe cultivation, recent years have seen a revival of local coffee bean cultivation, a favorite of the Japanese Emperor during the colonial period. The community development association cultivates coffee on a small scale and sells self-roasted coffee beans.

The coastline, facing the Pacific Ocean to the east, is characterized by rocky shores between Wushibi and Guishan. This is also where the early settlers of Chaoyang landed by sea. Later, Chaoyang Harbor was constructed, becoming the last harbor on the main island of Taiwan. It primarily serves as a base for nearshore fishing and fixed net fishing. Chaoyang’s fixed net is the southernmost in Yilan County. Due to the obstruction of Wushibi Cape to the north, the catch differs slightly from the fixed net at Fenniaolin to the north. The fixed net is harvested twice daily, with most of the catch being purchased by regular wholesalers. In recent years, it has also become popular among tourists, who often visit Chaoyang Harbor specifically to wait for fishing boats to return and purchase fresh seafood.

Due to its remote location on the administrative periphery in earlier times, the land in the Da-nanao area suffered from poor governance and ineffective policy dissemination. Although the community’s pioneers had settled there for a long time, they missed several land registration opportunities, resulting in most of the community’s land being classified as state-owned. Residents currently only possess ownership rights to the building and have been continuously petitioning for their rights until today. As a result, the use of land in Chaoyang is subject to various restrictions imposed by the state-owned land lease.

Originally an isolated islet, Guishan, located south of Chaoyang Community, gradually connected with the surrounding land due to the accumulation of sediment carried by the Dawan Creek and the North Nanao Creek. The rocky coast between Guishan and Wushibi formed a natural harbor, serving as the landing point for Hakka settlers arriving by sea. This area has now been developed into Chaoyang Harbor, a vital hub for nearshore fishing in the Nanao Plain. However, due to social and economic changes, the Chaoyang community no longer has any fishery processing industries, and the catch from the harbor is mostly transported directly for sale. The Hakka people utilized the spring water seeping from the foot of Guishan, which converged into a spring-fed ditch, to irrigate the agricultural fields on the Dawan Creek alluvial plain. This ditch eventually flowed northward into Chaoyang Harbor, and the migratory fish, shrimp, and crabs that migrate upstream against this ditch served as a primary source of protein for the early residents.