戊戌变法
Beginning in 1898, Gao had been heavily influenced by the philosophies of Liang Qichao and Kang Youwei. Gao rendered his full support to Hundred Days' Reform by writing and publishing articles in various magazines. He co-founded the "Juemin Society" (覺民社), an influential revolutionary and literature organization, together with his uncle Gao Xie () and younger brother Gao Zeng () in 1903 in his hometown Jinshan.