Cheng Pei-pei was born in Shanghai in 1946. Before she relocated in Hong Kong in 1960, she was a high school student and had learned ballet for six years. She passed an entrance exam to be a student in the performing arts institute, Nanguo Shihyan Jyutuan, then she entered the Shaw Bros as an actress.

      Her first movie was called 'The Lotus Lamp, Baolian Deng', in which she acted as a male in 1963. She became famous after performing in 'The Love's Rock, Cingren Shih' directed by Pan Lei (Poon Lui) in 1964. She won an international prize as the best new actress.

      In the Shaw Bros alone, she altogether made 20 movies, among which there were 14 wusia movies such as 'Come Drink with Me, Dazui Sia,' in 1966, 'The Golden Swallow, Jin Yanzih,' in 1968, 'The Jade Ranshak, Yu Luosha,' in 1968, 'Dragon Swamp, Dulong Tan,' in 1968 and 'The Lady Hermit, Jhong Cyui Niangzih,' in 1971. She also made 6 motion pictures, such as 'The Love's Rock, Cingren Shih' in 1964, 'Songs of the Orchid Island, Lanyu Jhige' in 1965, 'Hong Kong Nocturne, Siangjiang Hua Yue Ye' in 1967. She was very mobile and her poses were elegant, because of her ballet and classical Chinese dance background. When the process of filming 'Come Drink with Me' started in 1964, the position of the heroine, Jin Yanzih, was about to be given to Siao Siang (Siu Seung) because Siu had studied northern martial arts. But the director Hu King preferred Cheng Pei-pei, who, as a well-trained dancer, could match the pace of the fighting scenes. After Ren Ren Shaw agreed, Cheng Pei-pei gained this opportunity. This movie helped her to reach stardom, and she was elected to be the "Queen of the wusia movie" in 1969.

      She left the silver screen to get married in 1970. The movie 'The Shadow Whip, Yingzih Shenbian' directed by Lo Wei was her final movie before her marriage. Then she moved to the States and studied dancing at the university. She opened her own dancing school, and she danced on the stage with her students.

      In 1973 she returned to the filming studio to make two boxing movies; one was called 'None but the Brave, Tie Wa' directed by Lo Wei, and the other was called 'Whiplash, Hu Bianzih' by Ding Shansi (Ding Sin Saai). Then she went back to the States again. She formed a modern dance troupe using "LA" as its name, and they performed in Taiwan. In 1980 she played in a wusia series called 'Siaying Siangzong' on TTV in Taiwan. Since she played the role of Jin Yanzih, she has impressed audience with her good looks, her cool-headedness, her fast and stylish body movements. She is one of the best actresses in the wusia movie genre.