A graduate from the College of Fine Arts & Design of the Hebei Normal University, Yang set out three decades ago to study the folk history of Beijing, and to draw paintings on the historical sites, folk customs and time-honored brands in the city with the pigment he made.

Over the years, Yang has created nearly 10,000 traditional Beijing paintings and published a dozen of books on the history of Beijing. He has trained about 1,000 youngsters who are in love with the Beijing paintings. He is also involved in more than 30 campus and community events to popularize traditional cultures every year.