He was born in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, to a family of peasants.
As a child, he herded cows and collected manure, and along with his family served the local landowners.
In 1929 when Mao and Zhu De arrived in the Xingguo area, Yang greeted them.
He was purged during the Cultural Revolution and worked as a printing factory worker.
He was restored to his government posts in 1973; between 1979 and 1983 he served as the Chairman of the People's Congress of Jiangxi.