Born into poverty, he began working at 12 years old in porcelain workshops in the mountainous areas of Anhui and Fujian, before later moving to Shanghai, Taiwan, and then Hong Kong.

While in Hong Kong, he worked in Ta Kung Pao alongside Jin Yong as the art editor.

[7] Huang Yongyu returned to Beijing with his wife Zhang Meixi in 1952 and began working in the Central Academy of Fine Arts as a professor before becoming vice chairman of the Chinese Artists Association.

"[11] Huang Yongyu held numerous painting exhibitions in Australia, Germany, Italy, mainland China and Hong Kong, and his artistic achievements are well known at home and abroad.

[citation needed] Huang Yongyu was also an accomplished poet, his poems being described as colloquial and simple yet emotionally touching.

[citation needed] His stamp work includes the zodiac Golden Monkey stamp, and notable literature include Yongyu Six Records, Wu Shimang Forum, Wife, Don't Cry, These Melancholy Debris, Along the Seine River to Fei Leng Cui, Landscape under the Sun, The Wandering Man of the Wucho River.