Yimou Zhang

Director
Writer
Producer

A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's raid of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.

Play trailer2:33

The Flowers of War (2011)

Yimou Zhang was born on 14 November 1951 in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. He is a director and writer, known for Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). He has been married to Ting Chen since December 2011. They have three children. He was previously married to Hua Xiao and Hua Xie.

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Won 2 BAFTA Awards
- 189 wins & 175 nominations total

Photos32

+ 26

Known for

Hero

7.9

Director

2002

House of Flying Daggers

7.5

Director

2004

Curse of the Golden Flower

7.0

Director

2006

Raise the Red Lantern

8.1

Director

1991

Credits

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IMDbPro

Director

Article 20
7.0
- Director
- 2024
Under the Light
6.0
- Director
- 2023
Full River Red
6.5
- Director
- 2023
Snipers
6.3
- Director
- 2022
Cliff Walkers
6.5
- Director
- 2021
One Second
7.1
- Director
- 2020
Pattern China
TV Series
- general director
- 2019
China in Variety
TV Series
- general director
- 2019
Colorful China
TV Special
- general director
- 2019
Shadow
7.0
- Director
- 2018
The Great Wall
5.9
- Director
- 2016
Lady of the Dynasty
4.3
- co-director
- 2015
Stories Through 180 Lenses
6.4
Short
- Director
- 2014
Coming Home
7.2
- Director
- 2014
Zhongguo tielu
3.8
TV Short
- Director (credit only)
- 2011

Writer

Full River Red
6.5
- Writer
- 2023
Snipers
6.3
- written by
- 2022
Cliff Walkers
6.5
- written by
- 2021
One Second
7.1
- Writer
- 2020
Shadow
7.0
- screenplay by (as Zhang Yimou)
- 2018
The Bright Red Lanterns Hung High
7.6
Video
- libretto
- 2008
Beijing 2008: Games of the XXIX Olympiad
8.0
TV Mini Series
- creator
- 2008
To Each His Own Cinema
6.7
- Writer (segment En Regardent le Film)
- 2007
Curse of the Golden Flower
7.0
- Writer
- 2006
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
7.3
- story
- 2005
House of Flying Daggers
7.5
- Writer
- 2004
Hero
7.9
- screenplay
- 2002
A Soul Haunted by Painting
6.6
- Writer
- 1994

Producer

The First Shot
8.0
TV Series
- executive producer
- 2024
My People, My Homeland
6.4
- general Executive Producer
- 2020
Wisdom Tooth
6.1
- producer
- 2019
Suddenly Seventeen
6.4
- producer
- 2015
Curse of the Golden Flower
7.0
- producer
- 2006
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
7.3
- producer
- 2005
House of Flying Daggers
7.5
- producer
- 2004
Hero
7.9
- producer
- 2002
Dragon Town Story
7.3
- producer
- 1997
The Great Conqueror's Concubine
6.7
- producer
- 1994
A Soul Haunted by Painting
6.6
- executive producer
- 1994

In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos4

Clip 4:35

Streaming Passport to China

A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop

Trailer 1:45

Hero

Personal details

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Alternative names
- Zhang Yimou
Born
- November 14, 1951
- Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Spouses
Children
- Mo Zhang
Other works
Agricultural worker. (1971-1978) Worked in a textile plant in Shaanxi.
Publicity listings
- 5 Interviews
- 3 Articles

Did you know

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Trivia
He was fined $1.2 million for having 3 kids, which violated China's family-planning laws at the time. Two years later, the family planning law was repealed and people are no longer fined.

Quotes
For thousands of years, there's been a tradition of teaching us in China to think in terms of the collective experience, so we are rarely able to act in accordance with personal desires or emotions. Now young people, especially under Western influences, have become much more interested in themselves and their own values.