Zhang was born in August 1934 in Chongqing, Sichuan, Republic of China.
He entered the work force in May 1951 as a tax collector in Ba County.
[1][2] In June 1988, Zhang was appointed Vice Mayor of Chongqing and Director of its Organization Department.
In June 1993, he was appointed Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of Chongqing.
[1][2] When Chongqing was separated from Sichuan province in 1997 and upgraded to a provincial-level municipality, Zhang became the first CPPCC chairman of the Chongqing municipality.