Donnie Yen was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong. His ancestral home is Taishan, Guangdong. He came to Hong Kong at the age of 2 until he immigrated to Boston, USA at the age of 11.
Mother Mai Baochan is a world-famous martial artist and Tai Chi master, and founded the well-known internationally-known Chinese Martial Arts Research Institute. Since Donnie Yen knew how to walk, Mai Baochan began to teach him martial arts and build a good foundation for traditional martial arts.
Father Zhen Yunlong is an editor of the international Chinese newspaper Sing Tao Daily. He can play violin and a Chinese string instrument erhu with similar to violin timbre. Donnie Yen also studied Classical Piano , liked Chopard, and music became another source of inspiration in his life.
Growing up in the martial arts atmosphere of my mother and thirsty for martial arts knowledge, Donnie Yen has seen almost every kung fu movie that he can see. At this time, I met his idol Bruce Lee and gradually learned a variety of martial arts styles, including a variety of fighting techniques . But Donnie Yen, who had a rebellious personality, once worried his parents, so he sent him to the famous martial arts team of the Shichahai Sports School in Beijing for two years of training. Donnie Yen became the first non-mainland student.
After returning to the United States in 1982, he participated in the American regional martial arts competition and won the championship, making Donnie Yen famous in the foreign martial arts industry.
In the 1980s, he passed through Hong Kong and was discovered by Yuan Heping . He became famous in "Laughter Tai Chi" in 1984. He then starred in the fashion action film "Love in the Enemy" (1985), which combines popular breakdancing and martial arts, as well as the police and gangster films " Special Police Dragon Slaying " (1988), " Royal Senior Sister 4 Direct Strike Witness " (1989), and starred in "Money Laundering" in 1990. In 1992, he was invited by Tsui Hark to star in " New Longmen Inn " and "Huang Feihong: Men should strengthen themselves". He then starred in Yuan Heping's "Iron Monkey", " Su Qier " (1993), " Wing Chun " (1994), and " New Meteor Butterfly Sword " (1993), becoming another kung fu superstar after Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan , and Jet Li . Later, he starred in the TV series "Jingwumen" and also achieved success.
