She was admired for her paintings of orchids, and published a collection of poems which gained good critical reviews (although few of her works have survived).
[3] The other famed gejis of this group are Ma Xianglan, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun, Dong Xiaowan, Liu Rushi, Kou Baimen, and Chen Yuanyuan.
When she was eighteen years old, she joined Li Xiangjun, Wang Yue, and others in the "Lan Society", founded by Yangzhou celebrity Zheng Yuanxun in Nanjing.
In her Tower Meilou in the Qinhuai district, she hosted a famous literary salon, which counted Chen Liang, Qian Lucan and Mao Xiang among its guests.
The writer Yu Huai (余懷) recounted how, after he had helped her when she ran afoul of the law, she offered to perform a stage drama for him on his birthday.