‘Surrounded by total love’: China director, 75, criticised for 5th child plan with wife
Por Zoey Zhang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Trending in China People & Culture China Personalities ‘Surrounded by love’: China director, 75, criticised over plans for fifth child with wife
Critics question the age of Zhang’s wife, Du, and accuse the couple of using childbirth as a publicity stunt
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Zoey Zhang Published: 10:00am, 2 Oct 2026 Updated: 10:50am, 2 Oct 2026
China’s veteran filmmaker Zhang Jizhong, 75, and his 44-year-old wife, Du Xinglin, ignited online debate after announcing they are contemplating having a fifth child.
The Beijing-born director and producer is renowned for his adaptations of celebrated television versions of classic Chinese novels, including Water Margin and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Du, who studied in France, holds a doctorate in intellectual property law.
The couple married in 2017 and have since welcomed a son and two daughters, including their youngest daughter, affectionately nicknamed “Little Dragon Pearl,” who was born in October 2024. Zhang also co-parents a Eurasian son named Martin, whom Du conceived through IVF before their marriage.
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