A native of Wujin, Changzhou, Qian is also named as Qian Junyi. He passed the highest imperial examination in the Qingli period and served as a governor in Mingzhou. Around 1056 AD he conducted various activities for public good such as dredging lakes, constructing dikes and creating Zhongle Pavilion as a public tourist spot. He is the initiator of beautiful landscape in the Moon Lake.