Shan was born in Tonghua, a city known for its rich ice and snow resources, including a long history of skiing. In 1954, China had begun to promote winter sports in its northeastern regions, and Tonghua established its first cross-country ski team. Shan became part of the first group at age 16.

"Conditions were really tough at that time," he said. "We didn't have good equipment. We had to make skis out of wood by ourselves. But I always had the confidence to perform well."

From 1957 to 1960, Shan won 10 medals in different national competitions, including five golds.

Because of injuries, he retired from skiing at age 24, but he stayed close to the winter sport he loved. Over the years, he has served as a ski coach, secretary-general of Chinese Ski Association and head of the Chinese ski team, branching out to all aspects of skiing, including downhill racing. He took it as his mission to cultivate winter sports among as many people and in as many places as he could.