Lay was born on October 7, 1991 in Changsha, Hunan, China. His first television role was at the age of six starring as Huan Huan in "We The People" in 1998. In 2000, when he was nine years old, he participated in a Chinese television program as a member of the fan club of actor and singer Jimmy Lin, giving him his first contact with the entertainment industry. Lay began his career as a local children's star in Hunan province, after winning third place in a contest organized by the popular television program "Star Academy" in 2005. He also appeared in an episode of "Yue Ce Yue Xin Kai" and the variety show of Liu Na, "Na Ke Bu Yi Yang" between 2005 and 2006. In April 2006, he auditioned for the series "The Duke of Mount Deer" directed by Zhang Jizhong. Despite being one of the finalists, he did not win the role. In 2008, Lay joined S.M. Entertainment after a successful audition in Changsha. At the time of the auditions, he was sixteen and was studying for his university entrance exams when he had become an apprentice, so he moved to Korea to begin his training. Prior to that, he studied at High School Attached to Hunan Normal University, where he had been presented as an exceptional student for his achievements.