Hankiz Omar is a Chinese actress, dancer and model of Uyghur descent and was born in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. Her name, Hankiz, means "leader among women" in Uyghur language. After graduating from high school, she joined a PLA military arts troupe for two years as an actress while studying at the Xinjiang Arts Institute (新疆艺术学院) and is also trained as a dancer.