In 1997 she studied dancing at Minzu University, and in 2001 she joined a People's Armed Police performance troupe (Chinese: 中国武警文工团).
Four years later, she was accepted to the Beijing Film Academy performance institute.
She studied there in the same graduating class as Yang Mi, Yuan Shanshan, Jiao Junyan, and Jing Chao.
In 2009 she graduated as a top student in her department and joined China Broadcasting Performing Arts Group (Chinese: 中国广播艺术团), where she studied under comedian Feng Gong and met another protégé of Feng Gong's, Jia Ling.
[3] In 2016, Jia established Big Bowl Entertainment, and Zhang signed on as its first artist.