Tian was born in
Zhaoyuan County,
Heilongjiang, on 8 December 1940, while his
ancestral home in
Penglai, Yantai,
Shandong. He is the elder of three children. His second younger brother Tian Fengchun () once served as
party secretary of Zhaoyuan County and vice mayor of
Daqing. His third younger brother worked in the Zhaoyuan County Traffic Police Brigade and now lives in downtown Zhaoyuan County after retirement. Tian attended . In 1961, Tian was accepted to the PLA Second Artillery Technical College (now
PLA Rocket Force University of Engineering), but dropped out of college for health reasons during his sophomore year. After returning hometown, Tian was arranged to work as a substitute teacher at Yishun Township Central Primary School (). Two years later, he was transferred to the neighboring Chengjiao People's Commune () and appointed party secretary. In December 1977, he rose to become deputy magistrate,
deputy party secretary of Zhaoyuan County, and a member of the CCP Zhaoyuan County Committee, the county's top authority. His positions include: Heilongjiang governor (February 1995),
Minister of Land and Resources (March 2000). ==Downfall==