[1] He passed the Imperial examination in 1903 and was selected by the Qing government to study military theory at Tokyo Shimbu Gakko in Japan the following year.

While in Japan he met Sun Yat-sen and became a member of the Tongmenghui revolutionary society dedicated to overthrowing the monarchy.

In 1911, under the command of Gen. Cai E, he participated in the Wuchang Uprising, which marked the start of the Xinhai Revolution that eventually toppled the Qing dynasty.

[5] When Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor of China in December 1915, Tang announced the independence of Yunnan with the support of Cai E, Li Liejun and others.

[11] Along with the prospects of exporting homegrown Yunnanese opium and morphia to other provinces, Tang Jiyao maintained his fleet of dozens of combat and transport aircraft based at Kunming Wujiaba airbase which he and Cai E established in 1911, and officially opening Yunnan Aviation School in 1922.

He died of illness in May 1927 in Kunming, one month after he was ousted by Hu Ruoyu and Long Yun in a military coup and lost all of his power in Yunnan.