Zhai Jichang was born in Jiaxing, Zhejiang and lived most of his life in Wumen. The son of the artist Zhai Dakun (died 1804), he first studied painting at home. Although he also painted bird and flower and figure paintings, he was best known for his landscapes, which were greatly influenced by Shen Zhou (1427-1509) and Wu Zhen (18th century).