He was a student of Zhao Benshan and was an errenzhuan performer before joining the film and television industry.
[1] Xiaoshenyang became famous immediately in China after the 2009 CCTV New Year's Gala, where he stole the thunder from Zhao playing an effeminate restaurant waiter in a skit.
[2][3] He changed his name to "Xiaoshenyang" to show his sincerity for his wife—the name was based on his wife's name, "Shen Chunyang".
[4] "Yang" means sun, therefore, his fans are the "Yangguang" ("Sunshine").
Xiaoshenyang has acted in Zhao Benshan's television series Rural Love 2 and Rural Love Stories and in Zhang Yimou's A Simple Noodle Story.