Yang Chi-tong was born in Junliao, Feng-Yun Township, Taichung County, Taiwan on November 8th, 1906. Yang graduated from Huludun Elementary School in 1920, and was accepted by Taipei Normal High School that same year. He was deeply influenced by his teacher Ishikawa Kinichiro while attending this school. After studying for five years, he graduated in 1925. He then worked as a public school teacher at the Provincial Taichung Business Vocational School for 17 years. Later he worked at the Provincial Taichung Business Junior College as a teacher for 30 years. After teaching for almost half a century, he retired in 1967. His artwork was successively selected 10 times by "Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibitions" and "Taiwan Governmental Fine Arts Exhibitions" from 1928 to 1940. Yang’s works were also selected by Salon de Printemps in year 1960, 1963, 1964, 1969, 1980 and 1985. In 1984, Taichung Municipal Culture Center and Taipei Fine Arts Museum both held a retrospective exhibition for Yang. Other retrospective exhibitions were held by the National Museum of History in 1987 and by the Taiwan Provincial Museum of Fine Arts (now National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts) in May, 1989 when Yang was 84. Yang passed away from an illness in Taichung in 2003, at the age of 98.

This 1970 painting, which was based on a green hue, was exhibited in Taiwan Provincial Museum of Fine Arts (now National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts) in 1989 during the “Yang Chi-tong Retrospective Exhibition, 84”. The painting featured simple clear lines, it is lucid and unrestrained. The visual focus of the composition is centered on the left. On the upper right is a very light bluish green-yellow hue which depicts the clearness of the sky, presenting the spatial concept of distance. The bright yellow color below the near central area, lively depicts shiny hot summer sunlight illuminating the earth. Vegetation propagates and grows, palpitating with life. The houses and church which tightly connect with each other, occupy half the lower part of the painting. Fortunately, perspectives of the dynamics that see through the distance of the space guides the viewers’ vision following the central downhill road, and then turns and extends to the lower center of the painting. Thus the crowdedness of the painting is reduced. The two females holding parasols walk slowly under the sunlight, revealing simple down-to-earth leisurely attitudes.

Yang Chi-tong was skilled at watercolor painting. When he studied at Taipei Normal School in 1920, he was influenced by the advocate of Taiwanese art modernization, Ishikawa Kinichiro. Yang Chi-tong’s artwork was selected 16 times by many exhibitions including the “Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition,” “Taiwan Governmental Fine Arts Exhibition,” and was even invited to international exhibitions such as the “Nippon Chouya” Exhibition—the official Japanese whole nation exhibition, and Salon de Printemps. Even without experience in studying in Japan, throughout his life, Yang persisted in art creativity. It is admirable that Yang never gave up his aspiration for professional knowledge as well as his enthusiastic participation and contribution to artistic creativity for central Taiwan. Besides his creativity in painting, Yang Chi-tong also published many art criticisms and Japanese poetry in various newspapers and magazines. He spared no effort in promoting and broadening the art climate. Yang established many painting associations in central Taiwan, including Central Art Association with respected painters Lin Chih-chu and Lu Fo-ting, and Dong-nan Art Association with Yang Chi-san, Chang Si-ching; seven members total. Yang also set up Chun-chiu Art Association with Lo Hsiu-hsiung and others. He has left a large amount of artwork through his years of devotion including various classical works. His abundant knowledge in humanities surpasses his contemporaries. Yang has contributed vast amounts towards the creativity of central Taiwan as well as cultivating future art talents.