Yong Kang is the pioneer site of the Han people during the Ming-Cheng era.  The Han people crossed the Tai-jiang inlet, traced their way up Hsingang river (present day Yan-Shuei River), and settled on the south shore of the river.  The place gained prosperity as it was along the north-bound route from Jun-Cheng (present day Tainan city).  In the early days, Yong Kang was referred to as “Pu-Jiang-Tou.”  The origin of the name is an interesting one.  The late Ming and early Ching dynasty era of Chinese history coincided with the warring states period in Japan, and the armour of the warriors were mostly made of deer leather, of which Taiwan was a main supplier.  The Han people traded rice, salt and other sustenance with the Pingpu tribes for deer.  The deer pelts were exported to Japan, and the meat was made into deer jerky and shipped to the mainland.  In the southern Jujianese dialect, “Pu” means flatlands and “Jiang” is a type of deer that's relatively smaller in size.  “Tou” referred to capes near the sea or the water.  Together, “Pu-Jiang-Tou” meant “a flatland near the sea where deer gather.”  When Cheng Ch'eng-Kung arrived Taiwan, he first established the Cheng-Tien Court and An-Ping Town, then organized the south and north peripheries of An-Ping town into 24 villages.  The Pu-Jiang-Tou at the time was officially recorded as “Yong Kang Village.”  In the 23rd year of the reign of Kangxi, Taiwan was incorporated into the domain of the imperial Ching court, and Yong Kang was ruled under the jurisdiction of Tainan court.  During the Japanese occupation era, town councilors were stationed at Yong Kang “Pu-Jiang-Tou Quarter”, and the area was ruled by the board of Tainan official in Tainan State.  The place was subsequently renamed as “Yong Kang Upper-Middle Village” and “Yong Inner District”, and “Yong Kang Quarter.”  After the recovery of Taiwan, the province-town-vilage-city structure was implemented, and “Yong Kang Quarter” was renamed as “Yong Kang Village” and organized into 15 communities.  However, due to the rapid growth of population, the area was restructured into 29 communities in 1982.  By 1993, the population had exceeded 150,000, and the status was raised to county-controlled city.  The administrative structure was revised to 39 communities on May 22 of the subsequent year.  It is currently the city with the most villages and communities in the entire county.
In terms of the administrative structure, Yong Kang city is under the jurisdiction of Tainan County government.  The city is organized into 39 villages and 1270 neighbourhoods.  One chief secretary, one confidential secretary, and two specialized staff members work under the mayor to provide deputy and assistant services in city affairs.  There are 8 departments and 3 offices in the city hall: the Administration Department, the Public Affairs Department, the Finance Department, the Engineering Department, the City Development Department, the Agricultural Economics Department, the Social Affairs Department, the Military Service Department, the Human Resources Office, the Accounting Office, and the Discipline Office.  The supplementary units are the Cleaning Squad, the Institute of Social Education, the Nursery, and the Public Retail Market.  There are also the village offices and the mediation councils which are part of the department of public affairs and each works on its designated tasks to benefit the community.