In 1978, in Beijing, a student registration sheet of the Beijing Film Academy showed that the young Zhang Yimou had a beautiful face and thick hair, and was only 28 years old at the time. Before the college entrance examination, Zhang Yimou worked as a farmer for three years

In 1978, in Beijing, a student registration sheet of the Beijing Film Academy showed that the young Zhang Yimou had a beautiful face and thick hair, and was only 28 years old at the time. Before the college entrance examination, Zhang Yimou worked as a farmer for three years (going to the countryside to join the team) and seven years as a textile worker (Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, Guomian Eighth Factory), whether in the countryside as a zhiqing, or in the factory as a worker, Zhang Yimou has always loved photography, for beauty, it has a unique understanding and insight, there is no doubt that at that time, such an identity has such a hobby, he is generally considered to be "not doing the right thing", but it is this "not doing the right thing", so that Zhang Yimou's life has finally changed.

In the second year after the resumption of the college entrance examination, that is, in 1978, Zhang Yimou applied for the photography major of the Beijing Film Academy, but his path of study was not smooth, due to the lack of conditions in all aspects, there was a great controversy in the school for Zhang Yimou's admission, but after several twists and turns, Zhang Yimou was still recognized by the Beijing Film Academy and obtained an exceptional admission. Zhang Yimou, who is already 28 years old, finally broke through layers of resistance and became a student at the Beijing Film Academy.

More than 40 years have passed, and many of the people who joined the team with Zhang Yimou have stayed in the countryside and lived an ordinary peasant life, while the vast majority of those workers have become laid-off workers in state-owned enterprises, and Zhang Yimou, who was considered to be "not doing the right thing" at that time, has long become a big director at the international level, and his domestic status is almost unmatched.