Renowned Chinese movie director Zhang Yimou and his wife Chen Ting, have been ordered to pay off a fine of 7.48 million yuan ($1.23 million) within 30 days for violation of the family planning policy, CCTV reported.

The Binhu district health and family planning commission in Wuxi, Jiangsu province sent the written decision to the Zhangs on Thursday.

Director Zhang Yimou has apologized for violating the family planning policy. Photo provided to China Daily

The director who dazzled the world in 2008 with his Beijing Olympics opening ceremony apologized last month for violating the nation's family planning policy.

Zhang Yimou, 62, who also directed the blockbusters Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern and House of Flying Daggers, admitted in a video interview with Xinhua News Agency that they had breached the family planning regulations by having three children. 

"I have done wrong and won't blame anyone else. I will cooperate fully with family planning authorities in the city of Wuxi," Zhang told Xinhua.

China's family planning policy, introduced in the late 1970s to rein in the country's booming population, limits most urban couples to one child and most rural couples to two if the first child is a girl. The policy was recently relaxed, allowing couples to have two children if one of them is an only child.