Guangyuan was the Grand Imam of China, President of the Islamic Association of China, and President of the Chinese-Islamic Institute. He was an ethnic Hui, born in Hebei Province, China in August 1932 and studied Islam from a young age in various mosques across Northern China. 

He served in different mosques and Muslims communities in China, and from 2001 to 2016, CHEN served three terms as President of Islamic Association of China, President of Chinese Islamic College, and President of Beijing Islamic College. He was also a well-established scholar of Islamic studies and a calligrapher.