During the Cultural Revolution, she was a sent-down youth in Huize County and then worked in a lead zinc miner factory.
After resuming the college entrance examination, in 1978, she was admitted to Kunming University of Science and Technology, majoring in steelmaking.
In February 2001, she was elevated to party secretary, her first foray into a municipal leadership role.
In February 2003, she was appointed head of Organization Department of Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and held that office until April 2008.
In January 2008 she took up the post of vice governor which she held from 2008 to 2012, although she remained head of Organization Department until April of that same year.