[2] Yan was born in Wu County, Jiangsu Province (a present-day urban district of Suzhou), and graduated from the department of mechanical engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

In 2001, Yan was appointed as vice mayor of Shanghai, responsible for science and technology, education and women and children's affairs.

In December of the same year, Yan was elected vice chairwoman of the central committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy in the first plenary session of the 9th national congress of CAPD.

In July 2007, she was transferred to Beijing and became the vice executive chairwoman of the central committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy.

Indeed, on December 7, 2007, in the first plenary session of the 10th national congress of CAPD, Yan was elected the chairwoman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy.