Located far from the coast, the township is regarded as a gateway to Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

During the reign of Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty, there was a person named Jiasian who came to the area to develop the land.

Local and legislative offices were established including village chief and committee members.

[9] After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, Jiasian was organized as a rural township of Kaohsiung County.

In August 2019, some residents living in high-risk areas of Jiasian District were evacuated from their homes after heavy rain and flash flooding.