Chou Yi-hung was born to a wealthy literati family. His grandfather Tan Zu-yun was a famous calligrapher, while his father was active in the business and artistic circles. Under heavy influence from his family, he started practising painting and calligraphy from stone rubbings. He was close to the well-acclaimed artists in Shanghai. His first solo exhibition took place in 1943. In 1967, he relocated to Taiwan and started exhibiting his works around the world, including USA, Singapore and Thailand. Some of his works are kept in the collection of the National Palace Museum and the National Museum of History.