In 1928, he joined the Chongxian Secret Farmers Association. Soon he joined the children's group and became an instructor.
In 1930, he served as captain of the Young Pioneers and participated in the battle of the Langchuan District Suppression Militia Group. In the same year, he joined the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the Communist Youth League of China.
In 1935, he transferred from the Youth League to the Communist Party of China. During the Agrarian Revolutionary War, he served as a propagandist in the Political Department of the 12th Red Army and supplemented the youth officer of the Political Department of the 1st Division and 1st Regiment. Participated in the first to fifth anti-encirclement and suppression wars in the Central Soviet Area.
In October 1934, the Central Red Army began the arduous 25,000-mile Long March. Zou Yan has been serving as the communications squad leader in the General Political Department. He often traveled between the headquarters and central leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, etc. to deliver intelligence and important letters.
In 1936, he entered the Central Party School for the first time. After graduation, he was assigned to the Northwest Security Bureau as the Chief of the Inspection Section, the Security Director of Huachi County in Gansu Province, the Chief of the Investigation Section of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Provincial Security Bureau, and the Security Director of Dingbian (Central) County.
In 1938, he re-entered the Yan'an Central Party School to study. After graduation, he served as director of the Political Department of the Security Department of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, political commissar of the Security Corps of the Border Region Government, and commander of the South District Guard of Yan'an.
In 1942, due to his outstanding achievements in leading the troops to grasp production during the large-scale production movement, he was selected as a model worker in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and attended the commendation meeting held by the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region government.
During the War of Liberation, he served as deputy political commissar of the Shanxi West Detachment of the Shanxi-Cha Military Region and political commissar of the Second Regiment, director of the Political Department of the Mudanjiang Military Region, and political commissar of the Eighth Independent Division of the Northeast Field Army. During this period, Zou Yan led his troops to participate in the Shangdang Campaign, led the bandit suppression and land reform movements in the Mudanjiang area, participated in major battles such as the liberation of Jilin and the siege of Changchun and Liaoshen, and made important contributions to the liberation of Northeast China. After the liberation of Northeast China, the Du8th Division came under the command of the Tenth Column, and was later changed to the 16th Division to enter the Pass and participate in the Pingjin Campaign. After the peaceful liberation of Peiping, Zou Yan's department was ordered to stay in Beijing, participate in the formation of the Central Public Security Force, and served as political commissar, responsible for protecting the security of the Party Central Committee, Mao Zedong, and the security of the Beijing area. He participated in organizing troops to welcome the Party Central Committee and Mao Zedong's safe entry into Peiping, safeguarded the successful convening of the first National Political Consultative Conference, and participated in the security work for the founding ceremony and the National Day anniversary.
After the founding of New China, in the spring of 1951, he served as deputy political commissar of the Northeast Public Security Forces, political commissar of the Armored Forces of the Shenyang Military Region, political commissar of the 50th Army, deputy director, deputy political commissar and consultant of the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Region. While serving in the Northeast Public Security Forces, he participated in the leadership and command of the struggle on the hidden front.
In 1952, he led the public security forces and local public security departments to annihilate and capture 80 people from 3 groups of U.S. and Chiang Kai-shek maritime agents and 5 33 airborne agents. The most legendary thing that shocked the world was the capture of CIA spies Donnell and Fecteau alive. The entire unit was praised by Zhou Enlai.
In 1955, he was awarded the rank of major general. Won the August 1st Medal of Level 3, the Medal of Independence and Freedom of Level 2, and the Medal of Liberation of Level 1. In 1988, he won the first-class Red Star Medal of Merit. He was a representative of the 9th, 10th and 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He was elected as a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection at the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and attended 13 meetings of the Party. National Congress.