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A Chinese film star's revelation that her parents did not initially approve of her marriage to a divorced man with children, has created a stir on social media.

Zhang Ziyi, who had roles in box office hits Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Memoirs of a Geisha, was speaking on the women's discussion programme, , about her strained relationship with her parents because of her partner, Wang Feng.

"They weren't even able to mention his name," .

Wang Feng, a huge domestic celebrity in the 1990s, who has appeared as a judge in a number of music reality shows, has been divorced twice and has two children from his previous relationships.

Ms Zhang's comments opened up a discussion on the blogging website Sina Weibo, with more than 7,000 users sharing the hashtag #ZhangZiyisParentsOpposedWangFengRelationship, and asking whether women could accept a partner if he was divorced, or had children.

Some users consider Ms Zhang's parents' behaviour normal, saying most parents simply want their children to be happy. As one woman : "Their opposition is based on decades of seeing people's experiences. Parents' opinions are so important when considering marriage".

One parent agrees they would want their own child to have a better partner, and would possibly create barriers, but ultimately would still .

As Ms Zhang points out, her parents did eventually warm to her now husband. In 2015, he proposed at her birthday party, flying in a white drone carrying a diamond ring.

Wang Feng's age and family status "" according to another user, but they add that it is "important to have communication and understanding."

Others talk about how divorce and children are not a problem, as long as the partner is .

Since there are millions more men than women in China, there is some pressure on men to be flawless. Divorce rates in the country have been steadily growing, a trend which was according to the South China Morning Post in 2017.

But as some Weibo users say, love overcomes any obstacles, even divorce.