Baotou, also known as Jiuyuan and Lucheng, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Approved by The State Council, Baotou is an important economic center of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, one of the central cities of Hubaotou City Group and an important industrial base in China. As of 2018, the city has jurisdiction over 6 districts, 1 county and 2 flags, with a total area of 27,768 square kilometers. In 2021, the annual GDP of Baotou was 329.3 billion yuan, with a permanent resident population of 2.718 million at the end of the year.

Baotou is located in the western part of Inner Mongolia, the southern end of the Mongolian Plateau, the Yellow River in the south, the Tumochuan plain and Hetao plain in the east and west, Yinshan Mountains across the central part, located in the Bohai economic circle and the hinterland along the Yellow Economic Belt, is an important hub connecting North and northwest China, is the key development area of Inner Mongolia opening to the outside world. Baotou is a larger city with local legislative power and the largest industrial city in Inner Mongolia. It is a comprehensive industrial city in China that mainly focuses on metallurgy, rare earth and machinery industries, as well as an important basic industrial base in China and a global center of light rare earth industry. Baotou is reputed as "Steel City on Grassland" and "rare Earth City".

Baotou is the communication point between the northern grassland nomadic culture and the farming culture of the Central Plains. In 306 BC, Jiuyuan City was built. In 221 BC, Jiuyuan County was set up; In 433, Xianbei people established the Northern Wei Dynasty, Huaishuo town. Around the ninth year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty, Baotou built walls and built five gates in the east, south, west, northeast and northwest, forming the city scale of modern Baotou. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Baotou had developed into a famous fur distribution center and water and drought wharf in northwest China.

Baotou has been awarded the United Nations Habitat Award, China Habitat Environment Model Award, National Forest City, National Garden City, National Health City and China Excellent Tourism City.