Song Fatang, of the Han ethnic group, is a native from Shandong Province's Tancheng County. He was born in December 1940 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in March 1961, before beginning work in July 1964. He graduated from Shandong's Qufu Teacher's University where he majored in Chinese language and literature.

July 1964: Cadre of Shandong Provincial Party Committee's Supervisory Committee.

Aug. 1967: Officer for the Shandong Provincial Revolutionary Committee's Organizational Department.

Feb. 1974: Vice-chief of Shandong Provincial Party Committee's Organizational Department No.2 Division.

Jan. 1979: Deputy secretary of Shandong Province's Tai'an County Party Committee.

Feb. 1984: Secretary of Shandong Province's Tai'an Municipal Party Committee (at the county level).

May 1985: Deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, and mayor of Shandong Province's Tai'an City (at the prefecture level).

Aug. 1986: Secretary of Shandong Province's Tai'an Municipal Party Committee.

Mar. 1989: Vice-governor of Shandong Province.

Nov. 1994: Deputy secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee, and vice-governor of Shandong Province.

Dec. 1999: Deputy secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee.

Jan. 2000: Deputy secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee, acting governor.

Feb. 2000: Governor of Heilongjiang Province.

Jan. 2003: Elected governor of Heilongjiang Province at the first session of the 10th Heilongjiang People's Congress.

Mar. 2003: Appointed secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee.

Song was an alternate member for the 15th CPC Central Committee and is currently serving as a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee.