Wife of China director Zhang Yimou, who is 31 years his junior, remains largely unknown to public
Independent mother of three, who rarely appears on red carpet with husband, does ballet, appears on stage with her dancing daughter
Chinese film director Zhang Yimou may be a household name who is celebrated as the country’s “national master” but his wife Chen Ting is little known and dedicates herself to their family.
The woman behind China’s No 1 director recently attracted attention for appearing at the Beijing premiere of Zhang’s latest movie Scare Out in mid-February.
Pictures of Chen, 44, dressed casually, went viral on mainland social media as internet users were impressed by her slim physique and relatively young appearance although she is the mother of three.
Chen, who faced scrutiny for marrying Zhang, who is 31 years her senior, has come to win massive admiration online for supporting her husband’s career and taking care of the family for 26 years.
She was born in 1981 and grew up in Wuxi, eastern Jiangsu province.
Chen learned dancing as a child and started living independently at a boarding school at the age of 13.
In 1999, Chen met Zhang for the first time at a casting event for his new film.