Cheng Wenshan

Cheng was born into a family of farming background in Datunying of Ningxiang County, Hunan, on October 11, 1929. After high school, he studied, then taught, at what is now Wuhan University. He also studied at Beijing Russian Studies College. In May 1960 he earned his doctor's degree from Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.^{[citation needed]}

He joined the Chinese Communist Party in June 1952.^{[citation needed]}

He joined the Department of Civil Engineering faculty of Hunan University in May 1960 and was promoted to professor in 1983. In March 1981 he was appointed vice-president of Hunan University. After this office was terminated in February 1982, he became president of Hunan University, serving until August 1987.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, he received his Honorary Doctoral Degree from Chiba University.^[1][2]

On July 9, 2008, he died of illness in Changsha, Hunan.^{[citation needed]}