Born in Longxi, Fujian, Cheng Shan-hsi was graduated from the Art Department of the National University of Tainan. He was later graduated from the Art Faculty of the National Taiwan Normal University. Cheng obtained numerous awards and was invited to be the Taiwan representative in an exhibition in Tokyo in 1986. He taught in the Art Faculty of the National Taiwan Normal University and received an art reward from the National Culture and Arts Foundation in 1997.