Zhang Yimou's Hero scooped four prizes at this year's Golden Rooster Awards - mainland China's top film honours - including best director, best co-production, best sound recording and best production design.

The martial arts blockbuster was excluded from competing for best picture as it's a co-production - between Beijing New Picture Film Co and Hong Kong's Elite Group Enterprises - and not a completely mainland Chinese production. Instead it competed in a newly created best co-production category along with Zhou Yu's Train, directed by Sun Zhou.

Zhai Junjie's Fighting The Torrent also won four prizes including best film, best cinematography, best special effects and best set design.

The best film award was shared with Huo Jianqi's Nuan which is screening in competition at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival. Nuan also picked up the prize for best screenplay.

Best actor went to Xia Yu for The Law Of Romance while best actress was awarded to Yu Nan for Jing Zhe. Xu Jinglei picked up two prizes including best supporting actress for her role in Far From Home and best director's debut for My Father And I, which recently screened at Toronto.

The 23rd Golden Rooster Awards were held in Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province, just outside Shanghai.