# Kong Sheng

Kong Sheng (Chinese: 孔笙; pinyin: Kǒng Shēng; born 1960) is a Chinese cinematographer, actor and director best known for his directorial works Romance oF Our Parents (2014), All Quiet in Peking (2014), Nirvana in Fire (2015), and Ode to Joy (2016).

## Early life and education

Kong was born in Shandong in 1960. After college, he worked in a periodical agency as an editor.

## Career

In 1990, Kong Sheng worked as photography assistant in Zhang Xinjian and Liu Ziyun's historical television series Confucius. His 1990s work includes Romance in Manchuria, Story of the Street, Kong Fansen, and Daughter of Ali Mountain.
Kong made his directorial debut Policeman Cheng Guangquan in 1996.
In 1998, he worked with director Sun Bo in Police 110, which won the first prize in the China TV Golden Eagle Awards. That same year, his work The Holy Flame on the Sea won Outstanding Photography at the Flying Apsaras Awards.
In 2006, Kong directed Guandong Adventure, the series stars Li Youbin, Sa Rina, Song Jia, Zhu Yawen, Niu Li, and Liu Xiangjing. It received mainly positive reviews and won seven awards at the China TV Golden Eagle Awards.
In 2012, he co-directed with Li Xue in Legend of Entrepreneurship, which broadcast in CCTV-1.
In 2013, Kong co-directed with Li Xue again in All Quiet in Peking, which stars Liu Ye, Chen Baoguo, Ni Dahong, Liao Fan, Zu Feng, Dong Yong, and Jiao Huang. The TV drama won several awards, such as Best Television Awards at the 5th Macau International Television Festival and Shanghai Television Festival, and Golden Angel Award at the Chinese-American Film Festival. Kong was awarded the Outstanding Award at the 30th Flying Apsaras Awards.
In 2014, he co-directed with Li Xue in the historical television series Nirvana in Fire. The series stars Hu Ge, Liu Tao and Wang Kai. It won numerous awards, including Flying Apsaras Awards, Macau International Television Festival, China TV Drama Awards, Huading Awards, Shanghai Television Festival, and Golden Eagle Awards.
In 2015, Kong directed Ode to Joy with Jian Chuanhe. The drama received mainly positive reviews and became one of the most watched ones in mainland China in that year.
In 2016, he directed Nirvana in Fire 2 with Li Xue, the sequel to 2014's Nirvana in Fire.

## Filmography
### As cinematographer

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Director |
| 1990 | Confucius | 孔子 | Zhang Jianxin/ Liu Ziyun |
| 1992 | Story of the Street | 杀人街的故事 | Wang Ping |
| 1993 | Romance in Manchuria | 情系满洲里 | |
| 1994 | Kong Fansen | 孔繁森 | Wang Wenjie |
| 1996 | | 爱情帮你办 | Wang Ping |
| 1996 | Army Wives | 军嫂 | |
| 1996 | Sister Gan Nineteen | 甘十九妹 | Wang Wenjie |
| 1997 | The Formations of the Red Cross | 红十字方队 | Wang Wenjie |
| 1998 | The Art of War and Thirty-Six Stratagems | 孙子兵法与三十六计 | Zhang Zhisheng/ Zhang Huili |
| 1998 | Police 110 | 警方110 | Kong Bo/ himself |
| 1998 | The Holy Flame on the Sea | 海上圣火 | Qian Xiaohong/ himself |
| 1998 | Daughter of Ali Mountain | 阿里山的女儿 | |

### As director

| Year | English title | Chinese title | Co-director |
| 1996 | Hot Seasons | 燃情四季 | Kong Bo |
| 1996 | Policeman Cheng Guangquan | 民警程广泉 | |
| 1996 | A Drop of Sunshine | 一滴阳光 | |
| 1998 | The Holy Flame on the Sea | 海上圣火 | Qian Xiaohong |
| 1998 | Rainy Season in Kuala Lumpur | 吉隆坡的雨季 | |
| 1998 | Police 110 | 警方110 | Kong Bo/ himself |
| 2000 | Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio | 聊斋人鬼情缘 | Gao Liqiang |
| 2002 | Unnecessarily Judgment | 未被审判 | Gao Liqiang |
| 2003 | Sun | 好太阳 | Zhang Yongxin |
| 2004 | The Hunter | 狩猎者 | |
| 2005 | Tea-Horse Road | 茶马古道 | Wang Wenjie |
| 2005 | Behind the City Gate | 前门楼子九丈九 | |
| 2005 | Uncrackable Cases in the Palace | 明宫迷案 | |
| 2008 | Guandong Adventure | 闯关东 | Zhang Xinjian |
| 2008 | Ultimate Rescue | 极限救援 | |
| 2008 | Top Secret Escort | 绝密押运 | |
| 2008 | Full Stop of Love | 爱情句号 | |
| 2009 | The Line | 生死线 | |
| 2010 | Partners in Heaven | 天上的伙伴 | |
| 2011 | Iron Age | 钢铁年代 | |
| 2011 | Reviving of Beichuan | 北川重生 | |
| 2011 | Windmill | 风车 | Zhang Yongxin |
| 2012 | | 接力追凶 | |
| 2012 | Legend of Entrepreneurship | 温州一家人 | Li Xue |
| 2014 | Romance oF Our Parents | 父母爱情 | |
| 2014 | Battle of Changsha | 战长沙 | Zhang Kaizhou |
| 2014 | All Quiet in Peking | 北平无战事 | Li Xue |
| 2015 | Nirvana in Fire | 琅琊榜 | Li Xue |
| 2015 | Legend of Entrepreneurship 2 | 温州两家人 | Sun Molong |
| 2016 | Ode to Joy | 欢乐颂 | Jian Chuanhe |
| 2016 | Candle in the Tomb | 鬼吹灯 | Zhou You, Sun Molong |
| 2017 | Nirvana in Fire 2 | 琅琊榜之风起长林 | Li Xue |
| 2018 | Like a Flowing River | 大江大河 | Huang Wei |
| 2021 | Minning Town | 山海情 | Sun Molong |
| 2022 | Bright Future | 县委大院 | Mao Junlin，Wang Hong |

## Film and TV Awards

| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
| 2013 | Legend of Entrepreneurship | 19th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Won |
| 2013 | Legend of Entrepreneurship | 29th Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Director | Nominated |
| 2014 | Romance of Our Parents | 20th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2015 | All Quiet in Peking | 21st Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2015 | Romance of Our Parents All Quiet in Peking Nirvana in Fire | 30th Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Director | Won |
| 2016 | Nirvana in Fire | 22nd Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Won |
| 2016 | Nirvana in Fire | 3rd Asia Rainbow TV Awards | Best Television Director | Nominated |
| 2016 | Nirvana in Fire | 28th China TV Golden Eagle Awards | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2017 | Ode to Joy | 23rd Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2018 | Nirvana in Fire 2 | 24th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2019 | Like a Flowing River | 25th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Won |
| 2020 | Like a Flowing River | 30th China TV Golden Eagle Awards | Best Director | Won |
| 2020 | Like a Flowing River | 32nd Flying Apsaras Awards | Outstanding Director | Nominated |
| 2021 | Minning Town | 27th Shanghai Television Festival | Best Director | Pending |