Baoshan was formerly known as "Caoshan", which was named after the ancestors of the Han nationality in the Qing Dynasty because of the overgrown hills and weeds in the area.

[1] However, recent suburbanization has probably led to a large increase in the proportion of non-Hakka people due to its proximity to Hsinchu City, which is mostly Minnan Taiwanese.

The rest of the town is predominantly agricultural, particularly plentiful in hillside orchards of tangerines and lychee nuts.

The township comprises 10 villages: Baodou, Baoshan, Daqi, Sanfeng, Shanhu, Shenjing, Shuangxi, Shuangxin, Xincheng and Youtian.

Taiwan High Speed Rail passes through the central part of the township, but no station is currently planned.