[3][4] Yang was born in a village in Hengshan County, Hunan province, prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China.
[1][2][3] In February 1998, he was promoted to become the Communist Party Secretary of Changsha, capital of Hunan province.
[1][2][3] In January 2003, he was elevated to the Vice-Chairman of Hunan People's Political Consultative Conference.
[1][2][3] On May 26, 2014, it was announced that Yang was under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for "serious violations of laws and regulations".
[1] The CCDI investigation concluded that Yang had taken bribes, abused his power, and "committed adultery."