In 1954, Yang joined the Yunnan Provincial Song and Dance Troupe as a solo dancer.

In 1959, at the age of 18, Yang was selected by Wang Jiayi, the director of Changchun Film Studio, to star as the female lead, Jin Hua, in the romantic comedy film Five Golden Flowers, which reflected the socialist construction of the Bai people during the Great Leap Forward.

Before the release of Ashima, Yang developed a mental disorder after she was obstructed from falling in love, but recovered after hospitalization.

[2] In 1965, the release of Ashima was banned by the Ministry of Culture, as it was considered to conflict with the socialist values and "preached the capitalist class sentiment".

Yang died at her home in Shanghai on July 21, 2000, at the age of 59, due to long-term illness and physical deterioration.