Zhang Hua
Zhang Baofu was born in 727, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family traced its ancestry to the Jin Dynasty official Zhang Hua. His father Zhang Jiazhen had previously been a chancellor under Emperor Xuanzong and continued to serve in prominent positions after his removal in 723. Zhang Jiazhen died in 729, however, when Zhang Baofu was only two years old. Near the end of Emperor Xuanzong's "Kaiyuan" era (713-741), the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang capital Chang'an), Han Chaozong (), who had previously been recommended by Zhang Jiazhen, stated to Emperor Xuanzong: