Born in Pudong, Shangahi in 1915, he is a representative figure of the first generation of painters trained by the pioneers of Chinese oil painting such as Yan Wenliang, Xu Beihong and Liu Haisu who studied in Europe in the twenties. Upon his graduation from the Art Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1940, he remained teaching in his school and studied with Xu Beihong. He was professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1950 and became head of the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1954. Later he became vice-president. He is now professor of the said academy, chairman of Wu Zuoren’s International Art Foundation, and councillor of the Chinese Artist’s Association.