Chinese director Yan Po has been hospitalized following an alleged knife attack by a gang in Chaoyangmen, Beijing, police said.

The attack was said to have taken place at a store in Bainaohui Computer Center on Tuesday, the same day his film Shaking Marriage was released.

Yan, 43, is a graduate from the French Advanced Decorative Arts Institute. His directing career kicked off in 2003 with Aspirin and he is known to specialize in urban love stories.

Beijing Times reported, after speaking to Yan's friends, that the director had collected his repaired computer and was in the underground car park when it happened. The report said Yan was stabbed repeatedly, resulting in several bone fractures and a severed Achilles tendon.

Director Yan Po

Yan was taken to a nearby hospital after an emergency call from a passerby, the paper said.

"Yan is receiving treatment in hospital and is not yet out of danger. We are investigating the incident," Li Baohua, press officer from Chaoyang police, told METRO Thursday.

The newspaper report claimed the attack was an act of revenge, initiated by the former boyfriend of Yan's current girlfriend, Li Xiaoran - a famous Chinese actress.

The jilted lover, a Hong Kong businessman called "Mr A" in the report, was said to have hired four men to carry out the act.

Chaoyang police did not confirm the accusation, although Li did not deny it when questioned by the paper.

Li said she had first met "Mr A" in 2008. Their two-month relationship was stopped after Li realized he was heavily involved in gambling. She claims "Mr A" threatened her with a knife during the breakup.

"Yan isn't completely out of danger and I will accompany him in the hospital," Li told the paper.

Yan's ex-wife Mei Ting, also a famous Chinese actress, wrote in her microblog that she hoped Yan would recover soon.

Lu Chuan, another Chinese famous young director, also blogged about the incident.