Hu, a native of
Beijing, was born as Yuzhen (玉贞). Like her husband, she belonged to the Manchu minority of China. Her pen names were Yan Yan (燕崖) and Hu Chun (胡春). She had the sobriquet, Jieqing (洁青). She graduated from the department of Chinese literature at Beijing Normal University in 1931. She married
Lao She in 1931 and accompanied him in the following years and taught literature at some normal schools. In 1938, she got to know
Qi Baishi, and in 1950 she officially became his student. In 1958, she was hired by the Chinese Academy of Painting in Beijing as a senior artist. In 1980, she held her personal exhibition in
Hong Kong and published her album. She was a member of the Artists Association of China and a member of Calligraphers Association of China. She died at 4:27 pm on May 21, 2001 at Hepingli Hospital, at the age of 95. ==Legacy==