愛河流域古今範圍不同，清領後期曹公新圳切斷八卦寮以上的愛河上游源流（獅龍溪），愛河從此成為沒有上游的河川。愛河流域地勢低窪，兼有旱澇之患，是高雄平原開發最晚地區。愛河中、下游塹深岸高，清領初期左營、鳳山之間陸路交通需跨越愛河，已有津渡聚落出現。愛河聚落景觀的發展，以清領中期位於河口的港渡型聚落建廟的時程最早，漁鹽、養殖之利是發展主因。當時打狗灣海運、愛河水運並不重要。愛河感潮（可航）河段深入內陸，無法提供農業灌溉所需淡水，直到清領後期曹公圳興闢後，農業生計穩定後，農墾聚落才依次出現建廟之舉。隨著鳳山新城崛起，打狗開港後，三塊厝因位處左營、鳳山之間，具有河、海、陸交通優勢，遂成為鳳山外港，也是愛河流域唯一的商街，因而成為主要中心市鎮。想像中愛河聚落住民的日常生活、生產活動與商品交易等需求，皆可藉由便捷的愛河水運與三塊厝相連，共構愛河水運生活圈雛形，愛河也成為愛河聚落居民日常生活重心所在。

The area of Love River Basin goes through a lot of changes from the past to present. During the late Manchurian regime, Caogong New Canal was dug, thereby cutting off the source flow of Love River's upper course (Shilong River) at Bagualiao, and making Love River become a river without upstream from then on. Since Love River basin encountered both droughts and floods for its low-lying areas, it was developed latest among other places of Kaohsiung Plain. The midstream and downstream of Love River had deep valleys and tall moats. During the early Manchurian regime, the land transportation between Zuoying and Fengshan was separated by Love River, so there was gradual development of ferry settlements on the riverbanks. During the mid Manchurian regime, ferry settlements and temples were firstly established around the estuaries due to the rapid development of fishing, salt and aquatic industries. At that time, the water transportation of Takao Bay and Love River was of no significance at all. As the tidal segments (available for sailing of boats) extended deep to the inland, Love River could no longer provide fresh water for agricultural irrigation. It was not until the opening of Caogong Canal and stable development of agriculture in the late Manchurian regime that agricultural settlements successively appeared and temples were established. With the rise of Fengshan New City and the use of Takao Harbor, Sankuaicuo became an outport of Fengshan for being located between Zuoying and Fengshan, and enjoying favorable conditions for river, sea and land transportation. Meanwhile, Sankuaicuo was the only business street in Love River basin, making it gradually become a main central town. In geographical imagination, the daily lives of settlement citizens, local production activities and commodity exchange along Love River were closely linked to Sankuaicuo through Love River, thus co-forming a preliminary model of water-transportation-based living area along Love River. And Love River also plays an important role in the daily lives of citizens.