bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Zoey Zhang

A famous film producer in China has accompanied his wife – who is 30 years younger – to a prenatal exam for what will be his fifth child.
Zhang Jizhong, 72, is a Chinese martial arts film mogul, known for his adaptations of famous novels by the legendary writer Jin Yong, such as The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.
His wife, Du Xinglin, 42, was once his agent and studied in France, returning to China after completing her PhD.
Despite their huge age gap, the couple have been happily married since March 2017, and have a son and a daughter.
They also co-parent an eight-year-old Eurasian boy named Martin, who often appears in family photos.

Martin is Du’s child, and is believed to have been born in France during her previous relationship.
Zhang is also the father of Zhang Yuxin, the founder of Chinese media company, Mandala Media, and the daughter from his first marriage.
The baby on the way will be number five for the mogul, and he is very excited at the prospect.
On April 13, Zhang accompanied his wife to a prenatal check-up, and when he heard the baby’s heartbeat, he became emotional.
“This child is a gift from heaven, a blessing,” said Du.
“With our ageing society, we can all contribute more talented individuals to our country by having more children,” she said.
The couple share their experiences of marital life on Douyin, also engaging in discussions and reviews of Chinese traditional literature. They have 5.4 million followers on the social media platform.
In a recent video, Zhang reflected on their seven-year relationship.
“Because my wife is 30 years younger, there were many doubts from the world, thinking she was after money and I was after beauty. But actually we were attracted to each other and are deeply in love. We share a passion for Chinese traditional culture.”
Another video showed Zhang immediately stopping work when he realised Du was suffering from morning sickness. He massaged her, made warm brown sugar water and gave her fruit to ease the nausea.
The love story with the 30-year age gap has sparked a heated discussion on mainland social media.

“When this couple stand together, they look like a grandfather and his granddaughter. Is this kind of love really practical?” one online observer said.
“Zhang is just older, but that does not stop him from being a good partner,” another wrote.
In China, there are many celebrity couples with significant age gaps.
On April 10, Fan Zeng, an 86-year-old Chinese artist announced his coming marriage to a 36-year-old model.
One of Hong Kong’s pop icons, 58-year-old Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, is 22 years older than his wife, Fang Yuan, a mainland model.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong actress Christy Chung, 53, is 12 years older than her husband.


Chinese couple fake ‘domestic violence’ videos for live-stream sales, detained by police

China’s Gen Z is giving bosses headaches and rattling the corporate cage, surveys find

Drunk China cheat dies in freak fall from lover’s car, wife demands US$82,000

Caution as online ‘Superman challenge’ sees kids injured while copying dangerous game

Trending in China

China film mogul, Zhang Jizhong, 72, escorts wife to prenatal exam, stirs debate about 30-year age gap

Famous China film producer, Zhang Jizhong, 72, is about to have his fifth child with his wife who is 30 years younger, and the age gap between them has sparked a social media debate. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Zhang Jizhong, here with one of his children, is excited about the birth of his next child. Photo: Douyin

All in the family: despite the focus on their age, the couple say they are deeply in love. Photo: Douyin

Japan primary school with only 8 pupils enrols baby goat as student, adds ‘lively vibes’ delighting children

A rural Japanese primary school with just eight pupils has enrolled a baby goat as a “student” to add “lively vibes” to its campus. Photo: Weibo

New kid on the block: children at the school have embraced their new classmate. Photo: News Now

The new “pupil” grazes, visits classrooms and patrols her new campus daily. Photo: News Now

Vietnam kindergarten teacher pins student, 5, to ground, hits face, forces him to eat oranges

A violent kindergarten teacher in Vietnam is facing official sanction after she was filmed pinning a five-year-old pupil to the ground, hitting the boy and forcing him to eat oranges. Photo: SCMP composite/163.com

The teacher was filmed sitting on top of the student and hitting him after he broke a toy. Photo: 163.com

The authorities have advised parents to move their children to other schools in the wake of the incident. Photo: 163.com

Sweet-talking Elon Musk impersonator cons South Korean woman out of US$50,000 with promises of wealth

A woman in South Korea has been cheated out of US$50,000 by an online scammer impersonating the tech billionaire Elon Musk. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/QQ.com/Wikipedia

The online scammer managed to convince the woman he was the real thing partly due to this picture. Photo: Weixin.qq.com

The woman was also taken in by an identity card for the planet Mars which the conman showed her. Photo: Weixin.qq.com

China teenager pleads with father to be better husband after dispute with mother, video ignites family harmony dialogues

A Chinese teen boy urged his father to improve his attitude as a husband following a disagreement with his mother, sparking meaningful conversations about family harmony through his video. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

After witnessing his parents’ dispute, a courageous Chinese teenager tactfully implores his father to step up his spousal responsibilities, sparking a meaningful discourse on nurturing marital harmony within families. Photo: Douyin

Since its implementation in 2021, the cooling-off period has proven to be increasingly successful in curbing impulsive and hasty divorces. Photo: Shutterstock

China retiree, 78, and pole dancing champion wins gold medal, represents country in Asia’s Got Talent contest

A 78-year-old woman in China has fallen in love with pole dancing following her retirement, becoming a high-profile television personality along the way. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

The fit-as-a-fiddle retiree has even had a pole installed in her home so she can practise. Photo: Douyin

Dai has taken part in many contests and also vowed to keep pole dancing into her 80s. Photo: Douyin

News

People & Culture

China Personalities

Martial arts film guru marries ex-agent, together 7 years, ‘deeply in love’
Share marital life online, love literature, have 5.4 million followers on Douyin


A celebrated Chinese film producer is about to become a father for the fifth time, but it is the 30-year age gap between him and his wife which has sparked debate.


Children in China

Parenting: newborns to toddlers

China film mogul, Zhang Jizhong, 72, escorts wife to prenatal exam, stirs debate about 30-year age gap

Martial arts film guru marries ex-agent, together 7 years, ‘deeply in love’ Share marital life online, love literature, have 5.4 million followers on Douyin

Martial arts film guru marries ex-agent, together 7 years, ‘deeply in love’

Share marital life online, love literature, have 5.4 million followers on Douyin