Yuan has been a professor of Chinese literature at Peking University since 1957.
He attended Peking University as an undergraduate student, graduating in 1957 from the school's Department of Chinese Language and Literature with a B.A.
The department hired him as an instructor immediately following his graduation, where he has remained ever since.
Yuan has been a member of the China Democratic League since 1987, and has served as its vice-chairman since 1997.
He served on the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1998 to 2003.