At the age of 12, he went to school in the counter-Japanese base area of Taihang Mountains.
After high school in 1945, he joined the People's Liberation Army, where he was in charge of art and propaganda.
[citation needed] In 1950 he was researcher at the Cultural Work Corps of Political Department of Southwest Military Region.
[citation needed] In 1973 he was promoted to deputy director of the Department of Culture of Kunming Military District.
After the Cultural Revolution in 1978, he became a screenwriter at the August First Film Studio and subsequently as director of the Department of Literature of People's Liberation Army Academy of Art and director of the Department of Culture of People's Liberation Army General Political Department.