I was born in 1933. In 1954 I finished my high school education and passed the examination into Wuhan National University, specializing in botany. My university education ended in 1958 and I came to Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Science. Scientific research has been my profession since that time.

In 1962 I passed the national exam, and was a postgraduate at Beijing Forest University, with a specialty in genetics and breeding of horticultural plants. In 1965 I ended my study and came back to Wuhan Botanical Garden. I was a high research fellow until retirement in 1999. I researched lotus from 1978 until now and in 1994 I started to study the waterlily too.

In1985 to 1989 and 1993 to 1998 I was invited to the Modesto Lotus Garden in Modesto City, California USA. There I bred more than 120 varieties of lotus.

From 2001 until now, I have been at the Chinese Waterlily World in QingDao. I have bred more than 100 varieties of lotus and 150 varieties of waterlilies (hardy and tropical). I have also collected 150 hardy and 80 tropical waterlilies. I will continue my study at Chinese Waterlily World. It is my hope that the 2011 IWGS Symposium will take place here!