Daughters Of Zhang Yimou, Simon Yam Make Their Society Debut In Paris

The annual Le Bal des Débutantes, also known as Le Bal, took place last Sunday (Dec 1) at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, bringing together some of the most prominent families from around the world.

For those who aren’t familiar with Le Bal, it is a prestigious and exclusive event that invites the daughters of luminaries, like those in entertainment, business, or politics. Every year, about 20 to 25 ladies aged 16 to 22 are paired with young men, or ‘cavaliers’, from equally prominent families as they make their society debut.

This year, on the guest list was 17-year-old Angel Zhang, the daughter of Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou, 74, and his wife, Chen Ting, 43.

During the event, Yimou was seen getting into different awkward poses to snap pics of Chen Ting, who looked gorgeous in a dark blue tube gown. He was seen sitting on his haunches and standing up over and over just to capture the perfect pic, proving that the legendary filmmaker is also a top-notch Instagram husband.

The couple has two sons and a daughter. Their oldest son, 23-year-old Zhang Yinan, also attended Le Bal last year as a cavalier. Their younger son, Daniel, was Angel's cavalier this year. 

Yimou was later seen catching up with Hong Kong star Simon Yam, 69, and his wife, Chinese supermodel Qi Qi, 57. They were chaperoning their 20-year-old daughter, Ella, who is now a model too.

According to Qi Qi, Ella was invited to the ball six years ago. However, they turned the invitation down as she was still young and focusing on her studies.

Other notable debutantes at the event include Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s daughter, Apple Martin, 20, as well as Lucia Ponti, 18, the granddaughter of Italian actress Sophia Loren.