With evidence of settlement in the city dating to several millennia before the founding of the Shang Dynasty, legends claim that settlements within Baoding was the site in which the Yellow Emperor first declared the unification of China. The history of the modern city truly begins in the Warring States period, built under King Zhao of Yan. Then Shanggu, the city slowly grew in strength, benefitting from its region's association with the Northern Song and becoming the site of numerous armies, before being ransacked by the Mongol Empire in 1213.

Despite this, the city would later recover, benefiting from its location and receiving significant aid, returning to its former role as a burgeoning population centre and becoming the capital of Zhili in 1667. The city slowly begun to industrialise before attention came in the waning years of the Qing Empire as a new academy was founded, serving as the backbone for a modernising military. The city fell to Japanese forces early into the Second Sino-Japanese War, and was integrated fairly quickly.

Baoding stretches, however desperately, back towards its lengthy history. The Baoding Military Academy retains its prestige as a cradle of modern Chinese military tactics, and on being the origins of many influential figures across China. However, prestige can only carry a city so far. Despite being designated as the capital of Zhili Province once more, the rise of cities such as Tianjin and Shimen, alongside the exploitative practices of Japan itself have all led to the city's relative decline, only benefitting off the loose spoils of Beijing's growth. There is still some hope that the city may rebound, finally claiming the benefits of decades of military education, but it remains to be seen if these strengths will extend past the Academy.