Chen Bangzhu, male, Han nationality, is a native of Jiangxi Province. He was born in 1934 but did not join the CPC until he was 41 years old. He joined the CPC in 1975. He graduated form civil engineering department, Chongqing Institute of Architecture and Engineering in 1954. A civil engineer, he worked after graduation for chemical industrial construction companies, rising to the position of manager of a company under the Ministry of Chemical Industry.
In 1983, he moved into his first government position as mayor of Yueyang City in Hunan Province, while occupying parallel Party positions. Rising further, he became vice-governor, acting governor, and finally governor of Hunan Province from 1993 to 1995. In the field of trade, Chen first served as chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of Foreign Economic Relations and then successively as minister of Internal Trade and vice-minister of the State Economic and Trade Commission. He was a member of the 14th and 15th CPC Central Committees.