 Peng joined the People's Liberation Army in 1980, when she was 18 years old, and began as an ordinary soldier.Because of her vocal talent, Peng later performed during frontline tours to boost troop morale during the Sino-Vietnamese border conflicts.Peng first performed nationally and came to fame during the earliest rendition of the CCTV New Year's Gala in 1982, when she performed "On the Plains of Hope".