In China, we don't consider someone truly beautiful until we have known them for a long time, and we know what's underneath the skin.

I enjoy being an actress a lot, because I can feel different women's lives. I have the chance to feel like a geisha one day, and on another day maybe a scientist. That's the interesting part for me. My profession has helped me to grow up.

A movie has its own fate, which often doesn’t depend on the performances of the director and actors.

Even though I've done Hollywood films, I still don't think of myself as a Hollywood actress.

Absolutely not, because in acting I've found a domain that suits me perfectly. And that is so utterly rare.

It's not that I wanted to be an actor; it's that I didn't want to be a dancer! I was trained in traditional Chinese dance, and after working so hard it seemed unfair to just disappear into a group.

China's cinema has been rising for some time; it has more exposure, so my chances of becoming internationally known are better. But the first thing I have to do is learn English. If I can grasp the language, then perhaps I can think about the U.S.