‘Surrounded by love’: China director, 75, criticised over plans for fifth child

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.