Xu was born on 19 July 1895 in Yixing, Jiangsu, during the late Qing dynasty. It is imperative to note that he began studying classic Chinese works and calligraphy with his father Xu Dazhang who was a private school teacher at the age of six, and Chinese painting at the age of nine. Beihong came from rural Yixing, Jiangsu province. He started from the scratch and in the end became a well-known figure in the world due to his contributions in the art industry.