Bao Zheng is today respected as a symbol of justice in China. Throughout history; his largely fictionalized stories have appeared in a variety of different literary and dramatic genres; and have enjoyed sustained popularity. Bao Zheng was born into a scholar family in Hefei; Anhui province. At the age of 29; he passed the highest-level Imperial examination and became qualified as a Jinshi. He was a magistrate in Bian (Kaifeng); the capital of the Song dynasty. He is famous for his uncompromising stance against corruption among the government officials at the time. He upheld justice and refused to yield to higher powers.

After his death; Bao Zheng's stories were retold and preserved particularly in the form of performance arts such as Chinese opera and pingshu. Written forms of his legend appeared in the Yuan Dynasty in the form of Qu. In Ming Dynasty times the novel Bao Gong An increased his popularity and added a detective element to his legends. The Qing Dynasty novel The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants also added a wuxia (martial arts literature) twist to his stories. In opera or drama; he is often portrayed with a black face and a white crescent shaped birthmark on his forehead. In most dramatization of his stories; he used a set of guillotines; given to him by the emperor; to execute criminals.