As a child, Yen Ching-piao earned the nickname "winter melon-piao" from his grandfather for his short stature and stocky build.

[1][6] Yen assumed the chairmanship of the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in January 1999,[1][2] and used his position to push for direct travel from Taiwan to mainland China.

[16] Yen won a Taichung County legislative seat while serving a prison sentence for corruption, attempted murder, and firearms possession.

[18] That year, Yen joined a formal political party for the first time after his expulsion from the Kuomintang, co-founding the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union and running as an NPSU candidate.

[26] The Taiwan High Court ruled in September 2011 that Yen was guilty of misusing public funds during his tenure on the Taichung County Council.

[30] This arrangement attracted criticism,[31] and following his son's electoral victory, Yen began serving a prison sentence of 42 months in February 2013.