Photo Gallery: Actress China Zhang Ziyi

Photo Gallery: 

Actress China Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi was born the 9th of February 1980, in Beijing, China, and is the daughter of an economist father and a kindergarten teacher. Raised with her older brother in an urban, working-class part of Beijing, Zhang was originally interested in dance and gymnastics. 
 
Her entrance into the dance world came when she was 11, as she was accepted to a secondary school affiliated with Beijing Dancing College. During the 4 years that she was trained in dance, she managed to pick up some awards, including one at the National Young Dancer competition. 
 
But even though a career in dance seemed promising for the graceful Zhang, she became frustrated with the art by the time she was 15, and opted to act instead.