JiangRongwasborninJiangsuin1946.HisfathersjobsawthefamilymovetoBeijingin1957,graduatingfromthemiddleschoolattachedtotheChinaCentralAcademyofFineArtsin1966
HiseducationcutshortbyeventsinChina,thetwenty-one-year-oldJiangvolunteeredtoworkinInnerMongoliasEastUjimchinBannerin1967,wherehelivedandlaboredwiththenativenomadsuntiltheageofthirty-three.HetookwithhimtwocasesfilledwithChinesetranslationsofWesternliteraryclassics,andspentelevenyearsimmersedinpersonalstudiesofMongolianhistory,culture,andtradition.Inparticular,hedevelopedafascinationforthemythologiessurroundingthewolvesofthegrasslands,spendingmuchofhisleisuretimelearningthestoriesandraisinganorphanedwolfcub.
FollowinghisreturntoBeijingin1978,JiangembarkedonpostgraduatestudiesinoliticalscienceattheChineseAcademyofSocialSciences.JiangreceivedaMastersdegreeinlawin1982,andassumedanacademicpositionataBeijinguniversity.Nowretired,helivesinBeijing,withhiswife.