SHENZHEN, CHINA — A decade after their relationship attracted attention for its 12-year age gap, actress Christy Chung and Chinese actor Shawn Zhang are celebrating a milestone that has become another memorable chapter in their love story.
The celebrity couple marked their 10th wedding anniversary with a romantic seaside ceremony in Shenzhen, China, exchanging affectionate embraces, sharing a kiss and promising to continue standing by each other for another 10 years.
Christy, 56, looked radiant in a white strapless dress and carried a bouquet of yellow roses, while her 44-year-old husband appeared in an elegant all-white suit.
The celebration featured a flower-adorned backdrop overlooking the sea, with fireworks illuminating the night as the couple renewed their commitment in front of family and friends.
Their daughters Jaden, 18, and Cayla, 16, also attended the celebration, according to The Straits Times.
But it was the couple’s response to one important question that captured the emotional heart of the occasion.
During the ceremony, the host asked whether they were willing to continue supporting one another and facing life’s challenges together for another decade.
Their answer was immediate: “We do.”
For a couple whose relationship once faced public scrutiny over their age difference, the celebration was more than a glamorous anniversary party. It was an opportunity to reflect on 10 years of marriage, the challenges they had experienced and the future they hoped to build together.
A Seaside Celebration Filled With Flowers, Fireworks and Romance
Christy shared photographs and videos from the anniversary celebration on social media, giving fans a glimpse of the couple’s special occasion.
In a post shared on Weibo on November 10, she expressed gratitude for the 10 years they had spent together.
She wrote that she cherished their companionship and hoped people would learn to love themselves, appreciate everyday happiness and remain grateful for what they have.
The actress also shared photographs of the couple standing beneath a flower arch against the seaside backdrop.
On November 11, she posted more photographs on Instagram, reflecting on the realities of their marriage.
“These 10 years haven’t always been easy,” she wrote, acknowledging that their journey included growing, learning and finding their way through difficult moments.
She added that what mattered most was not how a celebration looked, but how it felt.
The message offered a more personal perspective on the milestone, moving beyond the glamorous photographs to acknowledge the effort involved in maintaining a relationship.
Another video posted on November 8 showed the couple exchanging their vows during the ceremony.
As fireworks lit up the evening, the pair embraced and kissed, creating one of the celebration’s most memorable moments.
The Straits Times and The Star also reported on the occasion, highlighting the couple’s promise to continue their marriage journey for another decade.
From Reality Television Co-Stars to Husband and Wife
Christy and Shawn’s relationship began in 2015 when they met on the Chinese reality dating programme Perhaps Love.
The show brought them together as participants, and their on-screen friendship eventually developed into a real-life romance.
Their relationship attracted considerable attention because Christy was 12 years older than Shawn.
At the time, some people questioned whether their relationship could withstand the differences in their ages, life experiences and public profiles.
Christy was already an established actress with a successful entertainment career and three daughters from two previous marriages. Shawn, meanwhile, was a younger actor who was still developing his own career.
Despite the criticism, their relationship progressed.
Shawn proposed in June 2016, and the couple married on November 8, 2016, in Beijing.
Their wedding was widely covered by entertainment media, particularly because it was Christy’s third marriage and Shawn’s first.
A decade later, the couple have returned to the spotlight for a very different reason: celebrating how far they have come together.
Why Their 12-Year Age Gap Became a Talking Point
The age difference has remained one of the most frequently discussed aspects of their relationship.
Christy was 44 when she married Shawn, who was 32 at the time.
Their relationship also challenged traditional expectations about age differences and financial roles in celebrity marriages.
Shawn has previously defended their relationship against criticism, including comments questioning the fact that his wife was more established financially.
The Straits Times reported that he had argued there was nothing wrong with a woman earning more than her husband.
The issue became part of the public conversation surrounding their marriage, but the couple continued their relationship despite the scrutiny.
Their experience also reflects a wider entertainment-industry discussion about relationships in which women are older, more established or financially successful than their partners.
For Christy and Shawn, however, their anniversary celebration focused less on those earlier criticisms and more on the commitment they have maintained.
Christy’s Journey to Marriage Was Not Without Challenges
Before marrying Shawn, Christy had two previous marriages.
She first married British businessman Glen Ross in 1998. They had a daughter, Yasmine, before their marriage ended in 2002.
In 2003, she married Taiwanese music producer Jon Yen. They had two daughters, Jaden and Cayla, before separating in 2011.
Her marriage to Shawn in 2016 marked a new chapter in her personal life.
The actress has spoken publicly about the importance of appreciating life and maintaining a positive outlook, including in her anniversary reflections.
Her latest message also acknowledged that a decade together does not mean a relationship has been free of difficulties.
Instead, she highlighted the importance of growing together and finding ways through challenging periods.
That message has helped give the anniversary celebration a more meaningful dimension beyond its elaborate seaside setting.
The Couple Have Also Faced Divorce Rumours
Their public relationship has not always been free from speculation.
In August 2023, Christy publicly rejected rumours claiming that she and Shawn had divorced because of alleged infidelity.
According to The Straits Times, she shared photographs from a family holiday in Europe and screenshots of legal letters sent to individuals and websites she accused of spreading defamatory claims.
She described the rumours as cyberbullying and said she wanted to protect her family.
Shawn also spoke out against the circulation of false information.
The incident demonstrated how public scrutiny can follow celebrity relationships, particularly when couples regularly share aspects of their personal lives online.
Their 10th anniversary celebration now offers another public glimpse into their relationship, although it does not erase the difficulties they have previously acknowledged.
A Blended Family at the Centre of the Celebration
The anniversary gathering was also a family occasion.
Christy’s two younger daughters, Jaden and Cayla, attended the ceremony, according to The Straits Times.
Their presence added another dimension to the milestone, reflecting the family life the couple have built since marrying in 2016.
Christy’s eldest daughter, Yasmine, was born during her first marriage, while Jaden and Cayla are from her second marriage.
Shawn became part of the family when he married Christy, and their relationship has frequently attracted attention because of their blended-family dynamic.
The anniversary photographs and ceremony showed the importance of family support alongside the couple’s romantic celebration.
For many fans, the family moments were just as meaningful as the fireworks and wedding-style photographs.
Their Love Story Continues to Attract Attention Across Asia
Christy Chung has remained a familiar name in Chinese-language entertainment for decades.
Born in Montreal, Canada, she rose to prominence after winning the 1993 Miss Chinese International Pageant.
She later established a successful acting career in Hong Kong and Chinese-language cinema, appearing in productions including Mermaid Got Married, Love on Delivery and The Bodyguard from Beijing.
Her husband, Shawn Zhang, is a Chinese actor and singer whose career developed through television, entertainment programmes and other projects.
Their relationship has also remained visible through social media and joint public appearances.
In November 2025, VnExpress International reported on the couple’s ninth wedding anniversary, highlighting how they had continued to share their relationship with fans despite earlier criticism and speculation.
That earlier milestone makes their 10th anniversary particularly notable: the couple have now reached a full decade of marriage after first meeting through reality television.
A Decade Down, Another Decade Promised
The seaside celebration in Shenzhen was filled with the familiar ingredients of a celebrity anniversary: elegant outfits, flowers, photographs, fireworks and romantic moments.
But Christy’s reflections gave the occasion a more personal meaning.
Her message acknowledged that a lasting relationship is not defined by perfect moments alone. It also involves learning, adjusting and continuing to choose one another through difficult periods.
For Shawn and Christy, their promise to remain together for another 10 years became the defining moment of the celebration.
Their relationship began on a reality dating show in 2015, developed into marriage in 2016 and has now reached its 10th anniversary.
The couple have faced questions about their age difference, public speculation and the pressures of maintaining a relationship under constant attention.
Yet their latest celebration was focused on the future rather than the criticism of the past.
After 10 years together, Christy Chung and Shawn Zhang have made another promise in front of family and friends. But as they begin their next decade as husband and wife, can their relationship continue to grow stronger beyond the cameras, headlines and public expectations?
