Dong, Wu, and Liu Xian created the first department of physical anthropology at Fudan University in mainland China.
[3] His research concentrated on paleoprimatology, dermatoglyphics, description of biological variation of ethnic minorities in China.
He collected anthropometric measurements and described physical characteristics of living people in different parts of China.
[5] In 1964, Dong published the paper "Study of dermatoglyphics of Zhuang nationality in Guangxi".
[6] When the Cultural Revolution began in 1966, he was severely persecuted and died as a result.