Graduated from Zuo Quan Whampoa Military Academy, joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) on 1925, and then studied at Sun Yat-sen University and Fu Longzhi Military Academy. After returning home, he served as the chief of staff of the Red Army Corps and participated in the Long March. 1936 served as the head of the Red Army Corps. After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he served as deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army, and commanded the Hundred Regiments War with Peng Chui and De Chui. 1942 in may, the Japanese army launched a sweeping campaign against the eighth route army in Taihang, and Zuo Quan died while commanding troops to cover the the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China beifangju and the eighth route army headquarters to break through.