[citation needed] Born in Nanyang, Henan, China, Yang entered Tsinghua College in 1915 to study architecture.
He also took part in the design of People's Grand Hall, Beijing Train Station and the Chairman Mao Memorial.
In 1931, Yang Tingbao and his team won the competition for Nanjing Central Stadium and construction was completed in the same year.
However, the leading critic of this movement, Liang Sicheng, ridiculed the style as: "Wearing the Western suit with a Manchurian hat.
In 1952, he designed the Heping Hotel in Beijing, which was built to hold the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference.
When it was built, the Heping Hotel's austere and modernistic look drew much controversy although it would later be seen as an exemplary work of public building design.