Puding County is located in the heart of Guizhou Province, bordering Xiu District, Development Zone, and Pingba District of Anshun City to the east, Zhenning County to the south, Liuzhi Special Zone to the west, and Zhenjin County of Bijie City to the north. The county covers an administrative area of 1,091 square kilometres and comprises 4 sub-districts, 6 towns, and 3 ethnic townships.

Puding County has been honoured with the titles of ‘National Advanced County for Culture,’ ‘National Science Popularisation Demonstration County,’ ‘National Forestry Science and Technology Demonstration County,’ ‘National Advanced County for Quality Family Planning Services,’ ‘National Advanced County for Rural Student Nutrition Improvement,’ ‘Provincial Civilised County Town,’ ‘Provincial Hygienic County Town,’ ‘Provincial Rural Financial Credit County,’ ‘Provincial Demonstration County for the Development of the Big Health Pharmaceutical Industry,’ ‘Provincial Advanced County for Grassroots Organisation Construction,’ and ‘Provincial Model City for Military-Civilian Unity.’

With a long history and a land of outstanding talents, as early as over 16,000 years ago, the early Southern Homo sapiens known as the ‘Chuandong People’ created the ancient human culture here, hailed as the ‘Lamp of Asian Civilisation.’ Puding was historically part of the Zangke Yelang Kingdom. In the fourth year of Emperor Taizong's reign during the Tang Dynasty, the first administrative county, Shiyan County, was established. In the seventh year of Emperor Xianzong's reign during the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed Puding Prefecture. According to the ‘Explanation of County Names,’ Puding derives its name from ‘Puli Diding’ (Puli being the name of a tribe). Puding has produced numerous distinguished figures, including the renowned flower and bird master and sculptor Yuan Xiaocen, the distinguished scholar, poet, and calligrapher Ren Kecheng, the philosopher and aesthetic master Liu Gangji, and the renowned painter and sculptor Yuan Xikun, all of whom are celebrated cultural elites renowned both domestically and internationally.

Puding County administers Dingnan Subdistrict, Chuandong Subdistrict, Huangtong Subdistrict, Yuxiu Subdistrict, Ma Guan Town, Hua Chu Town, Ma Chang Town, Bai Yan Town, Ping Shang Town, Ji Chang Po Town, Bu Lang Miao Ethnic Township, Hou Chang Miao and Yao Ethnic Township, and Mao Dong Miao and Yao Ethnic Township, comprising 4 subdistricts, 6 towns, and 3 ethnic townships.

The name ‘Puding’ derives from ‘Puli Diding,’ where “Puli” is the name of a tribe. The name ‘Puding’ appeared early in history and has been closely associated with present-day Anshun City in terms of administrative divisions. Historically, it was part of the ancient Zangke Yelang Kingdom and was inhabited by the Yi ethnic group. In the fourth year of Emperor Taizong's reign during the Tang Dynasty (630), Yan Prefecture was established, overseeing counties such as Shiyan. The seat of Shiyan County was at Xibao (now Puding Machang), making it the first administrative county established within the present-day boundaries of Puding. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, the present-day Puding area was under the jurisdiction of the Puli Division of the Luodian Kingdom. During the Five Dynasties period, it belonged to Shiyan County, with part of it under the jurisdiction of Wangjiang County. During the Song Dynasty, it belonged to Shiyan County and Wangjiang County under the jurisdiction of Kuizhou Road. In the seventh year of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1257), Puli and Puding submitted to the Yuan Dynasty, and the Puding Wanhu was established in their territory. Soon after, it was renamed Puding Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the Yunnan Qujing Xuanwei Office. This was the first time that the characters ‘Puding’ were used as an administrative name, and it is also the origin of the name Puding County. In the 27th year of the Zhi Yuan era (1290), it was renamed Luodian Anfu Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the Sichuan Provincial Administration, and later transferred to the Huguang Provincial Administration. The following year, it was again transferred back to the Sichuan Provincial Administration. In the 29th year (1292), Puding Prefecture was re-established, under the jurisdiction of the Yunnan Qujing Xuanwei Office. In the 7th year of the Dade era (1303), it was renamed Puding Road, with its administrative affiliation remaining unchanged. In the 11th year of the Zhi Zheng era (1351), the original territories directly administered by Puding Prefecture were established as Puding County, Anshun Prefecture, Daan Prefecture, Hehong Prefecture, and Xian Prefecture. Today, Puding is divided among An Prefecture, Hehong Prefecture, Anshun Prefecture, and Puding County. In the 14th year of the Hongwu era (1381) of the Ming Dynasty, Puding City was constructed. In the 15th year (1382), the Puding Garrison was established and soon upgraded to the Puding Military and Civil Commandery, subordinate to the Sichuan Provincial Military Commandery. Puding Prefecture was subordinate to the Yunnan Provincial Administration. In the 16th year (1383), Xianan Prefecture was merged into Anshun Prefecture, and Puding Prefecture was upgraded to Puding Military and Civil Prefecture, transferred to the Sichuan Provincial Administration. In the 18th year (1385), the Puding Military and Civilian Prefecture was abolished, and Puding County was merged into Anshun Prefecture, subordinate to the Yunnan Provincial Administration. In the 19th year (1386), five chieftainships—Ninggu, Xibao, Shiying, Kangzuo, and Muyao—were established, all subordinate to Anshun Prefecture (Shiying and Xibao are both located within the present-day boundaries of Puding, and the name Shiying is still in use today). In the 25th year (1392), Anshun, Zhenning, Yongning, Xibao, and Shiying, which were under the jurisdiction of the Yunnan Provincial Administration, were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Puding Garrison, which was under the jurisdiction of the Sichuan Provincial Military Commission. In the 3rd year of the Zhengtong era (1438), Anshun Prefecture was directly under the jurisdiction of the Guizhou Provincial Administration, with Ninggu and Xibao under its jurisdiction; Shiying was under the jurisdiction of Zhenning Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of the Guizhou Provincial Administration. The Puding Garrison was transferred to the Guizhou Military Commission. During the Chenghua era, Anshun Prefecture was relocated to the Puding Garrison, with the prefecture and garrison co-located for administration. In the 30th year of the Wanli era (1602), Anshun Prefecture was upgraded to Anshun Military and Civilian Prefecture, with present-day Puding under its jurisdiction. In the 3rd year of the Chongzhen era (1630), it was placed under the Guizhou Military Commission. In the 10th year of the Kangxi reign (1671), Puding Garrison was renamed Puding County and placed under the jurisdiction of Anshun Military and Civilian Prefecture. In the 26th year (1687), Anshun Military and Civilian Prefecture was renamed Anshun Prefecture, and Dingnan was merged into Puding County. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), Puding County was abolished and merged into Anshun Prefecture. In the second year (1913), Puding County was restored, Anshun Prefecture was renamed Anshun County, and the county seat of Puding County was moved to Dingnan (present-day Puding City), under the jurisdiction of Guixi Circuit. In the third year (1914), Puding County was relocated to Dingnan, with the original territory of Puding County as its foundation, and it was reorganised by incorporating scattered territories from Anshun, Zhenning, Langdai, Zijing, and Pingba counties to form the new Puding County, whose name has been retained to this day. In the ninth year (1920), the provincial-level administrative divisions were abolished. In the 24th year (1935), it was transferred to the Second Administrative Inspection District (Anshun). In the 27th year (1938), it was transferred to the Third Administrative Inspection District (Xingren). In 1949, it belonged to the Anshun Special Region, and today it belongs to Anshun City, with the county's administrative structure remaining unchanged.