He is the former Chinese record holder for the event both indoors and outdoors with bests of 5.80 and 5.75 metres respectively.

Born in Binzhou in China's Shandong province,[1] Yang won the gold medal at the 2005 World Youth Championships and then took the silver at the 2005 National Games of China, finishing behind Liu Feiliang.

[5] He represented his region at the 11th National Games of China and won the bronze medal.

He started the following year in better form, taking the title at the 2012 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, then clearing 5.65 m to win his first IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai.

[11] At the start of 2013 he set a national indoor record of 5.80 m at the PSD Bank Meeting in Germany.