[1][2] She was the daughter of accomplished Taoist practitioner and governor Bao Jing, and the wife of Ge Hong, who is the author of Baopuzi.
He believed in Taoism and his interpretation of Taoist doctrines influenced Bao's interests.
In the first year of Jianyuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (343 AD), Ge Hong passed away in Mount Luofu.
Bao Gu and her disciple Huang Chuping went to Yuegang temple, both to treat people's illnesses and to repair roads.
Because of the efficacy of her medicine, people called her Baoxiangu, with xiān indicating her immortalized status.