Yang Hui was born in Zhucheng County, Shandong province in 1929. He was Director of the School Education Department of Propaganda Department of the Harbin Municipal Committee, Vice President of Student Recruitment Committee of Culture and Education Office, President of Higher Education Academy of Heilongjiang Province. He was also appointed as Secretary of the Education and Working Committee of CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, Vice Chairman of Tianjin Municipal P.P.C.C (People’s Political Consultative Conference).
Yanghui served as Party Secretary of Tianjin University from 1984 to 1991.