Ge Jianxiong was born on 15 December 1945 in Nanxun, Wuxing County (now Huzhou), Zhejiang, China.
After a year of teacher's training, he taught at Gutian High School in Zhabei, Shanghai.
Despite having never attended college, he excelled in the exam and was admitted to the graduate school of Fudan University to study historical geography under the famous scholar, academician Tan Qixiang.
[2] Ge has been a faculty member of the Institute of Historical Geography of Fudan University since 1981, and became a full professor in 1991.
[1] Ge also writes popular columns and blogs in the mainstream media and is a well-known public figure in China.