 Dai was born in Shanghai on June 4, 1982, where she attended the Shanghai No.3 Middle School for Girls and Shanghai Caoyang NO.2 High School, with her ancestral home in Nanjing, Jiangsu.Dai graduated from East China Normal University as a recommended student, majoring in Chinese language.Dai first rose to prominence in 1998 for playing Liu Xia in the television series "Flowering Season, Rainy Season", for which she received nominations at the 17th Golden Eagle Awards.