The township's former name () refers to
Babao canals 1 and 2, which take water from the
Choshui River to irrigate the farmlands of
Changhua. The canals are known as the "Mother Rivers of Changhua", spreading out in a fan-shaped distribution throughout Changhua county and creating a fertile plain for agriculture. During
Japanese rule, the name was changed to , which was modified to Ershui Township after Taiwan's handover to the
Republic of China in 1945. Records of habitation at Ershui has been documented all the way back to 1621, in the
Ming dynasty. The first inhabitants first came from
Fujian,
mainland China to
Lukang, Changhua County, and then to the foothills of the
Bagua mountain range. The settlers co-existed with the indigenous people, and began farming, irrigated by spring water from the mountains. The population at that time was roughly 300. After the construction of Babao canal 1 during
Qing rule, the population spread outwards from the Bagua foothills towards the canal itself. Farms emerged on both sides of the canal, and this farming boom increased the population to 1700 people, or around 300 households. With the construction of the passenger and freight station, local businesses emerged on 1 km of the station front street, which was accelerated by the formal construction of the
TRA Nisui Station in 1918. Finally, the construction of a pineapple canning plant in 1932 began an economic boom for Nisui, making it the most prosperous town in the
Choshui River region at the time. ==Administrative divisions==