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NANJING -- Renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou will be fined 7.48 million yuan (about $1.23 million) for violating China's family planning policy, said local authorities in the east of the country on Thursday.

The family planning bureau of Binhu district of Wuxi city, Jiangsu province, on Thursday sent Zhang a letter demanding collection of the "social maintenance fee," according to the district's official account on Twitter-like Sina Weibo.

Zhang and his wife Chen Ting were fined after he acknowledged in December that they had parented two sons and a daughter.

They violated the country's family planning law by having three children before their marriage and having no permission for the births, according to the bureau.

The total amount was calculated based on the couple's income and the cost of social maintenance. It includes fines and social maintenance fees.

The bureau had sent nine investigation teams to several cities to collect evidence related to their income since November.

The couple have also signed a document about the authenticity of their income.

They are required to pay the fees in one within 30 days from Jan 9, or apply for an administrative review or appeal.

In an interview with Xinhua on Dec 29, the couple admitted to giving birth to two sons and one daughter in 2001, 2004 and 2006 respectively before they officially got married in 2011. They fell in love with each other in 1999.

Chen said they delayed getting their marriage certificate because of concerns that Zhang's identity could be exposed during that process. He admitted the wrongdoing and was prepared for the consequences.

They had the marriage registration in Wuxi of Jiangsu to help the children get hukou (household registration) status, said Chen.

Zhang, one of the "fifth generation" of Chinese filmmakers, made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum and has won numerous awards worldwide. He was also chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games.

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