Enot na nagbutwa an isla sa surviving chart sa ika-17 siglo, na kun sain nabanggit ini kan mga paralayag na Hapon.
Imperiyal na Hapon
Sa kasagsagan kan pagrakyada sa Taywan kan Hapon, Pigdeklara kan gobyero kaini an Isla nin Kōtō bilang sarong etnolohikal na lugar nin pagsaligsig na dae limitado sa pangkagabsan na publiko.
Republika kan Tsina
Pagkatapos kan mabawi an Taywan kan Republika nin Tsina, pigpangasiwaan an isla bilang nayon nin "Hong-tou-yu kan Kondehan nin Taitung pagkatapos kan ika-19 nin Enero 1946 alagad pigmamantinir na igwang bisa an mga paghihigpit sa mga bisita sa Hapon. Nin huli ta sa mga patakarang ini, padagos kan Tao an mga tradisyunal na igwa sinda asin pigmantinir sa tanga kan Mga taywanong aborihino sa balyo kan pagtatapos kan pagbabawal sa pag-eerok asin turismo kadtong 1967.
Puon 1967, pigtugdas an mga eskwelahan sa isla dangan sapiritan an edukasyon sa Mandarin.
Sarong pasilidad nin imbakan nin ati-nukleyar an pigtugdok kan 1982 na mayo nin enot na konsultasyon sa mga nag-eerok sa isla.[2] Nagtatanggap an planta nin ating nukleyar gikan sa tolong planta nin kusog nukleyar kan Taywan, pigpapadalagan gabos kan kagamitan nin estadong Taipower. Haros 100,000 na mga barelya kan ati- nukleyar na nasaray sa Lanyu complex.[3] Kan 2002 asin 2012,igwang mga darakulang protesta gikan sa lokal na residente, nangangapudan sa Taipower na halion an basura gikan sa isla.[4]
Administratibong pagkakabaranga
Igwang pitong mga kagtaraid (社) sa Nayon kan Lanyu, apat sa mga ini, adiminstratibong mga baryo (村):
Badaiwan de Shenhua 《八代灣的神話》 (Myths from Ba-dai Bay). Taipei: Morning Star Publishing Co., 1992.—Syaman Rapongan's first book; a collection of myths and his personal reflections on contemporary Tao; divided into two parts, with the first on myths, and the second on personal reflections.
Lenghai Qing Shenhaiyang Chaosheng Zhe 《冷海情深—海洋朝聖者》(Deep Love for Cold Sea: The Oceanic Pilgrim). Taipei: Unitas Publishing Co., Ltd., 1997.—A collection of short stories about Syaman Rapongan's life on Lanyu; the book marks the writer's constant struggles with himself and his family because he voluntarily went unemployed and devoted himself solely to the ocean as a bare-hand diver in order to explore Tao civilization and find the meaning of life. The book also marks the writer's initial identity transition from a Sinicized man to a real Tao who embraces the value of physical labor and learns to cultivate the art of story-telling. The book was the Annual Reading for 1997 by United Daily News.
Heise de Chibang 《黑色的翅膀》 (Black Wings). Taipei: Morning Star Publishing Co., 1999.—Syaman Rapongan's first novel; it questions the future of Tao people through the characterization of four young men (Kaswal, Gigimit, Jyavehai and Ngalolog) Should they run rigorously after the tempting ‘white body’ on the land or wait patiently for the arrival of ‘black wings’ on the sea? Although this appears a rhetorical question, Syaman Rapongan reveals that the conflicts are severe and their impact profound. This novel won Wu Zhuo-liou Literary Award in 1999.
Hailang de Jiyi 《海浪的記憶》 (Memory of the Ocean Waves). Taipei: Unitas Publishing Co., Ltd., 2002.—Another collection of short stories; divided into two parts, with the first on the countless ties between Tao and the sea (six stories), and the second on Tao's staunch fights against foreign influences. Experimenting boldly with different genre and languages, the writer combines verses with prose and juxtaposes Tao and Chinese languages. As another Taiwanese writer and critic, Song Ze-lai, points out, Syaman Rapongan deliberately defamiliarizes his language and syntax in order to praise traditional Tao values and to guide his readers, especially Tao, back to the original way of living, far from influences of Chinese culture and modern civilization.
Hanghaijia de Lian 《航海家的臉》 (The Face of a Navigator). Taipei: INK Literary Publishing Co., 2007.—Also a collection of articles; it continues the oceanic theme but exposes more of Syaman Rapongan's personal battles with modernity or traditionality and his pursuit of prosperity or return to innocence. Calling him-self a nomadic soul, Syaman Rapongan knows there may be no end to his battle. His course is a romantic one, without any definite plan. Nor will his beloved sea offer any answer or guidance. Nevertheless, consolation can be found in sweet solitude and family understanding. Syaman Rapongan's first attempt at trans-Pacific navigation with a Japanese captain and five Indonesian crew members is also included here.
Lao Hairen 《老海人》 (Old Ama Divers). Taipei: INK Literary Publishing Co., Ltd., 2009.—Syaman Rapongan's second novel; highly praised and awarded (The Wu Lu-chin Prize for Essays, Chiu Ko Publishing Co. Annual Selection in 2006). Instead of following the previous semi-biographical direction, Syaman Rapongan focuses on three outcasts on his island, Ngalomirem, Tagangan and Zomagpit, whose pretty names fail to bring them pretty lives. Ngalomiren is regarded as a psychopath, Tagangan a miserable student though a brilliant octopus-catcher, and Zomagpit a hopeless drunkard. Through these figures, Syaman Rapongan portrays how Tao society stumbles between traditionality and modernity, and how broken the society has become in both material and mental terms as its humble and simple way becomes recognized again. In spite of a slight hope for reconciliation, this way back to the humble and simple Tao world is arduous, sometimes painful, and fully filled with regrets.