光緒元年（1875）恆春縣成立後，民番衝突持續不斷，原因條漢人欠繳柴寮番租等所引起。當地客家族群與排灣原住民關係良好，甚且合力對付閩南族群，因而激起閩客族群的衝突。時值清末開山撫番期間，官兵既是開路主力，又需保護墾民安全，一旦番患事起，往往成為受害最大的犧牲者。官府為防範番患，透過將已撫生番編戶為民、汛防屯隘防衛力的加強、要求番社頭人社長負責部落治安並交出殺人兇番、立義塾教化番童及漢庄聯合自保等種種措施，以期有效預防番人出擾，並使番民徹底漢化，遵從禮儀法度。然事實證明，其成效是有限的，至甲午戰爭爆發前夕，恆春縣的番患事件仍時有所聞。再對照恆春地區口耳相傳的「石符敗庄頭」與「神明戰爭」傳說，以及「車城人睹（碰）到牡丹番」的諺語，清楚闡明清末恆春縣漢番衝突的嚴重性，以及所引發的複雜族群關係。

After Hengchun County was established in the first year of Guangxu (1875), vendetta conflicts happened frequently between the Hans and the aborigines, as the Han Chinese owed the farmland rents. The local Hakka groups and the Paiwan aborigines were in a good relationship, and even fought alongside the Min Nan groups which sparked the conflicts with the Min Nan groups. During the period of the road building and the aboriginal pacification, soldiers not only needed to be the pioneers but also needed to protect the farmers. Therefore whenever there were conflicts with the aborigines, soldiers would be the most suffering victims. To prevent the conflicts, government registered the census of the aborigines, reinforced the border patrol and the defense ability, demanded the tribe leaders maintaining order and turning in the people who committed murders, established schools to educate the young aborigines, and promoted collaborative defense among the Han villages. These various measures were taken in hopes of preventing further disturbances from the aborigines, while converting the aborigines to be more Han-influenced, following the customs and regulations. However, the truth still showed that the effectiveness was somewhat limited. When the Sino-Japanese War broke out, the conflicts from aborigines in Hengchun County was still common. By the word-of-mouth local legends ?Shi Fu Bai Zhuang Tou? and ?War of gods?, together with the proverb ?People from Checheng City meeting the Peony aborigines?, it can be seen that the conflicts between the Hans and the aborigines in Hengchun County in late Qing was critical, and leaded to a more complex relationship in ethnic groups.