[1] Betty Loh Ti was born as Hsi Chung-i on 24 July 1937 into a prominent family from Pudong, the owner of the Xi Fu Ji (奚福記) Factory in Shanghai.

[1][2] She was the youngest of six siblings; her elder brother (born Hsi Chungchien) would grow up to become renowned actor Kelly Lai Chen.

[1][2][3] In 1949, her grandmother brought the children to Hong Kong, as part of the mass exodus from mainland China after the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War.

[1][4] In Hong Kong, Loh's family lived next door to Yuan Yang-an, a cofounder and top executive of Great Wall Movie Enterprises.

[1][4] After her contract with Great Wall expired in 1958, Loh defected to Shaw Brothers Studio, which gave her more important roles.

In 1967, she founded her own studio, Golden Eagle Film Company, together with her brother Kelly Lai Chen and director Yuan Chiufeng.