In 1957, Chen Zhenglei started studying Taijiquan with his uncle Chen Zhaopi, focusing not just on hands form and weapons but also Taiji theories.
He is listed in the China Contemporary Education Celebrities Dictionary, China Present Martial Arts Masters, and Contemporary reform elites.
[3] In December 1995, Chen Zhenglei was recognized as one of Top Ten Martial Arts Masters of Present Day living in China.
[citation needed] Since 1998, the Chinese Wushu Association together with the National Sport Commission and the Chinese Wushu Research Institute has established a graduation system based on nine Duan levels (Dan (rank)), Chen Zhenglei achieved the 9th Duan Wei Grandmaster (Jinlong—jiu duan: Gold Dragon) level in 2012[citation needed], and he is one of the few holders of the highest rank of the Duan wei system.
He wrote and produced dozens of books and DVDs about Taijiquan; they have been translated into Japanese, English, Spanish and Korean, among others, and released in many countries.