 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Qiu akaberekerwa muNanjing muna 1936. Muna 1937, vabereki vake vakatiza kurwisa kweJapan guta racho, ndokugarazve muChongqing. Achida kuva muimbi, Qiu muduku akadzidza kupenda, uye ipapo akazvidzidzisa kwenguva yakati. Muna 1963, akanzi anoshanda mufekitari muBeijing pabasa rakanga risinei nezvaaida kuita achiri muduku - kugadzira midziyo yokuyera yeChinese National Institute of Metrology NIM. Mukati meCultural Revolution, vanzveri vazhinji paNIM vakanga vadzingwa basa, uye muna 1976 Qiu akakumbirwa kuva rutivi rwavashandi vavo. Kunyange zvazvo asina kupiwa zita rokutsvakurudza kusvikira kuma1990, Qiu akashanda muboka duku rakagadzwa paakasvika uye akapiwa basa rokutsvakurudza nezvezvakaitika kare zveChinese. Kunyange zvazvo iye pamutemo pamudyandigere muna 1999, Qiu akava akabatanidzwa ake nhoroondo kuferefeta, uye akaramba achishanda Institute pashure. Maererano naRobert P. Crease, sezvo chinangwa cheInstitute chakashanduka, hapana vashandi vatsva vakashandirwa kuti varambe vachiita tsvakurudzo yezvakaitika kare, zvichiita kuti Qiu ave nhengo yekupedzisira yeboka iri paNIM. 