Chen was born in Xiangcheng County in Henan Province in 1903.

She attended Peking Women's Normal University [zh], where she graduated from the Department of Education.

She subsequently taught at the university's high school, where she later became headmistress.

She also worked as a professor at the National Women's Normal College [zh] and the National School of Oriental Language and Literature, and as an inspector for the Department of Education of Peking municipality and Hebei Province.

She subsequently relocated to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War.