[5][6][7] A leading figure of China's Fifth Generation directors, he made his directorial debut in 1988 with Red Sorghum, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

[20] When Gaokao was reinstated and the Beijing Film Academy reopened its doors to new students in 1978, Zhang, at 28, was over the Cinematography Department’s admission age limit of 22 and lacked the required academic qualifications.

[21] With the help of relatives in Beijing, Zhang appealed to the faculty members as well as prominent artists, such as Bai Xueshi, Huang Yongyu, and Hua Junwu, then the Ministry of Culture's general secretary.

[23][24][25] In 1985, after moving back to his home town of Xi'an, Zhang was engaged as cinematographer and lead actor for director Wu Tianming's upcoming film Old Well, which was subsequently released in 1987.

[23] 1988 saw the release of Zhang's directorial debut, Red Sorghum, starring Chinese actress Gong Li in her first leading role.

Red Sorghum was met with critical acclaim, bringing Zhang to the forefront of the world's art directors, and winning him a Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival in 1988.

[26] Codename Cougar (or The Puma Action), a minor experiment in the political thriller genre, was released in 1989, featuring Gong Li and eminent Chinese actor Ge You.

As in The Story of Qiu Ju, Zhang returned to the neorealist habit of employing non-professional actors and location shooting for Not One Less in 1999[36][37][38] which won him his second Golden Lion prize in Venice.

Happy Times, a relatively unknown film by Zhang, was based loosely on the short story Shifu: You'll Do Anything for a Laugh, by Mo Yan.

Starring popular Chinese actor Zhao Benshan and actress Dong Jie, it was an official selection for the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002.

With an impressive lineup of Asian stars, including Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Zhang Ziyi, and Donnie Yen, Hero told a fictional tale about Ying Zheng, the King of the State of Qin (later to become the first Emperor of China), and his would-be assassins.

[42] Set in the Tang dynasty, it starred Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro as characters caught in a dangerous love triangle.

House of Flying Daggers received acclaim from critics, who noted the use of colour that harked back to some of Zhang's earlier works.

[43] Released in China in 2005, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles was a return to the more low-key drama that characterized much of Zhang's middle period pieces.

The film stars Japanese actor Ken Takakura, as a father who wishes to repair relations with his alienated son, and is eventually led by circumstance to set out on a journey to China.

[50] After the mixed reception and financial disappointment of The Great Wall, Zhang returned in 2018 with the critically acclaimed Shadow,[51] which received 12 nominations at the 55th Golden Horse Awards and won four, including Best Director.

[53] He reprised his version of Turandot in October 2009, at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, and plans to tour with the production in Europe, Asia and Australia in 2010.

[56] In 2017 he directed an innovative ballet titled "2047 Apologue", where the 12 minute solo finale The Weaving Machine was choreographed by Rose Alice Larkings and including hundreds of LED lamps.

Onstage as Rose Alice danced the 12 minute solo was an elderly Chinese weaver at her loom, highlighting the old crafts and industries which remain so important in a world of new technology.

He directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, alongside co-director and choreographer Zhang Jigang.

Zhang, having been deprived of the opportunity for college education due to his “anti-revolutionary” family background, discouraged her from attending, saying, "You’ll grow close to your university classmates, find common ground with them, and eventually look down on me."

A few days later, Xiao received a call from Gong's then boyfriend, surnamed Yang, who told her: “I’ve met with Zhang Yimou.

In 1995, soon after shooting Shanghai Triad, their 7th collaboration during their relationship, Zhang announced their break-up amidst rumors of Gong's affair with then managing director of British American Tobacco in China, Ooi Hoe Seong (whom she married a year later).

This alleged strategy aimed to exploit Zhang Yimou while sidelining his more tactful and decisive partner, ultimately leading to a feud between Gong and the producer.

[75] On 29 November 2013, under the public pressure, Zhang admitted in a statement that he and his wife, Chen Ting, have two sons and a daughter, and that they would cooperate with Wuxi's family planning authorities for an investigation and accept any legal consequences.

[76][77][78] On January 9, 2014, the Wuxi Family Planning Bureau fined the couple 7,487,854 RMB (roughly US$1.2 million) for violating China's one-child policy.

This position facilitated the development of a close friendship with Zhang Yimou, as the latter’s film reels frequently required customs clearance for overseas processing.

However, Zhang Yimou left the company in 2012 after an acrimonious split, stemming from years of business and creative disputes and precipitated by the critical and commercial underperformance of The Flowers of War.

In 2015, Zhang Yimou sought 15 million yuan in box office revenue share from A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop.

Meanwhile, his wife, Chen Ting, disclosed on Weibo that during the two men’s 16-year collaboration, Zhang Yimou had only been paid 12 million yuan in total.