Mao obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa, USA, and launched his acting/directing career with professional theatre companies in the States. He made his Broadway acting debut in the original Harold Prince/Stephen Sondheim musical Pacific Overtures, and undertook further studies with the renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner in New York. 
 

When the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) was established in 1985, Mao joined its School of Drama as Head of Acting, responsible for training up a few generations of local talents. He took the reign of Artistic Director at the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRT) from 2001 to 2008. Many of his distinguished productions were not only well received in Hong Kong, but also highly successful when it toured to Shanghai, Beijing, Toronto and New York. He was bestowed the honor of “Director Laureate” of HKRT upon his departure.
 

Mao has received numerous awards, among them the “Best Director” title for five times at the Hong Kong Drama Awards and “Artist of the Year” (Stage Director) from the Hong Kong Artists Guild. In 2004, the Government of the HKSAR conferred upon Mao the Bronze Bauhinia Star in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Hong Kong performing arts scene. He was awarded the Honorary Doctorate by HKAPA in 2014. 
 

As Convener of HK-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee (2010-2019), Mao was responsible in presenting the “Hong Kong Week”, an arts and culture festival, every year in Taipei since 2012. By the invitation of HKAPA, Mao had been the Founding Chair of its newly established School of Chinese Opera (2014-2016), and taken on the challenge of setting up the first-ever Degree program in Cantonese Opera. 
 

At the 2018 Hong Kong Arts Festival, a new Cantonese opera production Pavilion of a Hundred Flowers, adapted and directed by Mao, was a huge success. It had attracted many non-Cantonese opera audience to embrace the show. It leads to HKAF’s decision to do a re-run the following year, a first ever in their 47 years history. In 2019, a successful tour performance of Pavilion took place in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou.