She is fluent in Mandarin and also speaks some regional dialects. She grew up in Sichuan (Szechuan), has traveled extensively in China, and is active in promoting cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. Yan received her B.A. in English Language and Literature and her M.A. in American Studies from Sichuan University in Chengdu. She taught English at Sichuan University before obtaining two additional graduate degrees at the University of Hawaii in Library and Information Science and Teaching English as a Second Language. She is the author of two recently published books, Food and Festivals of China and Famous People of China.