Sebagai satu-satunya anak perempuan dari lima bersaudara, Teng dibesarkan dalam keluarga yang dilanda kemiskinan dan menghabiskan masa kecilnya di [[desa tanggungan militer]], pertama di Yunlin dan kemudian di [[Kota Pingtung|Pingtung]]. Ayah Teng pensiun pada tahun 1957, dan kemudian bekerja menjual kue untuk membiayai hidup keluarganya. Teng menerima pendidikan awalnya di {{ill|Sekolah Dasar Luzhou|zh|新北市蘆洲區蘆洲國民小學}} di [[Luzhou, Taiwan|Luzhou]], [[Kabupaten Taipei]], Taiwan.<ref name="CHE"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Path_The Native Land |url=http://library.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4640/teng5.html |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=library.taiwanschoolnet.org |archive-date=18 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918164130/http://library.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4640/teng5.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Teng wasterpapar exposedpada tomusik musicsejak atusia andini earlymelalui ageorang throughtuanya heryang music-lovingsangat parentsmenyukai musik. HerAyahnya fatheradalah wasseorang apenggemar [[Peking opera Beijing]] enthusiast, anddan heribunya mother appreciatedmenyukai [[Huangmeiopera Huang Mei|opera Huangmei]], often accompanyingsering Tengmenemani toTeresa Chineseke moviebioskop theatresdan andgedung opera housesTionghoa. At the age of six, Teng began her voice lessons through an acquaintance of her father's, who instructed an air force band. Considering the environment of 1950s Taiwan [[Martial law in Taiwan|under martial law]], Teng's first mentor introduced her to singing before military audiences, a practice Teng continued throughout her life.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Prodigy of Taiwan, Diva of Asia: Teresa Teng |url=https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/prodigy-of-taiwan-diva-of-asia-teresa-teng/ |access-date=21 January 2023 |website=[[Association for Asian Studies]] |language=en-US |archive-date=4 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304133520/https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/prodigy-of-taiwan-diva-of-asia-teresa-teng/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
