Reportedly born in 1778 in Dongsa Hamlet in Nanlong Prefecture (present-day Anlong County in Guizhou) and was of Bouyei descent, Wang was raised in a family of Mo ritual experts.

Using spells thought by her family, she became known for the "crossing the darkness" ritual, where she believed her five-colored stones gave her healing powers, claiming her magic was divinely ordained.

This policy replaced tribal leadership with direct imperial control, allowing Qing officials and landlords to exploit Bouyei people.

[2][3] In January 1797, a massive uprising led by Wang began with thousands of rebels attacking cities, gaining momentum until they captured Puping and Nanlong, leading to the suicide of Prefect Cao Tingkui.

By mid-February, the rebels had taken Ceheng, Zhenfeng, Xingren, and Xingyi, then moved towards Ziyun, Changshun, Huishui, and Zhijin, rallying local Bouyei, Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and Yi population to join them with sights set on capturing provincial capital Guiyang.

[4] Emperor Jiaqing dispatched troops to suppress the uprising and the rebellion weakened due to superior armaments of the Qing army.

After the failed siege by rebels of Nanlong, the Qing response was swift; Governor-Generals Le Bao from Yunnan-Guizhou and Jiqing from Guangxi were dispatched.

[4] After Wang's death, the people of Nanlong all expressed their sorrow and set up incense tables in their homes for memorial ceremonies honoring her.

The Xingyi Prefecture Gazette describes her commanding a siege while surrounded by female generals, and the Chinese Encyclopedia of Minority Nationalities states that she trained in martial arts from a young age.

Although it is plausible for a young woman to possess martial arts skills, given the context of her leading an armed uprising and her itinerant lifestyle, her primary role likely involved utilizing religion to mobilize the masses, boost morale, and inspire confidence, similar to the French heroine Joan of Arc.