20 Most Famous Chinese Actresses (+ How They Got So Famous)

Chinese Actresses || The Most Famous Right Now (+ The Movies They Star In)

So, ever wondered who the top most famous Chinese actresses are?

Learning about Chinese films, movies, pop culture, music, and celebrities, are all great ways to learn Chinese.

From beginner to advanced, immersing yourself fully into Chinese culture is a sure quick fire way to Chinese language fluency.

But… where to start?

The world of Chinese celebrities and famous Chinese actresses can be a difficult one to penetrate.

Such an alien world that seems so far removed from Hollywood… and yet one that once you start your journey into learning about famous Chinese actresses, you’ll open up a whole new world of cinema you’ve been missing out on!

So to help you get started, we’ve put together a list of famous Chinese actresses just for you. 20 of them in total.

Below you can find not only the list, but we’ve also arranged them into chapters. You can find:

• A fact file on them
• Their biographies
• Pictures
• Famous movies and TV series they were part of

NOTE || The following is a list of famous Chinese actresses from mainland China. Those from Hong Kong and Taiwan haven’t been included. Let us know if you’d love a famous Taiwanese actress or famous Hong Kong actress post and we’ll get on it!

The below famous Chinese actresses are in no particular order apart from maybe the author’s preference 😎

Famous Chinese Actresses || Fan Bingbing 范冰冰

Famous Chinese Actresses || Yao Chen 姚晨

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhao Wei 赵薇

Famous Chinese Actresses || Yang Mi 杨幂

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhao Liying 赵丽颖

Famous Chinese Actresses || Gong Li 巩俐

Famous Chinese Actresses || Li Bingbing 李冰冰

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhang Ziyi 章子怡

Famous Chinese Actresses || Dilraba Dilmurat 迪丽热巴

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhou Xun 周迅

Famous Chinese Actresses || Sun Li 孙俪

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhou Dongyu 周冬雨

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhang Zifeng 张子枫

Famous Chinese Actresses || Liu Yifei 刘亦菲

Famous Chinese Actresses || Hao Lei 郝蕾

Famous Chinese Actresses || Yang Zi 杨紫

Famous Chinese Actresses || Guan Xiaotong 关晓彤

Famous Chinese Actresses || Ni Ni 倪妮

Famous Chinese Actresses || Tang Yan 唐嫣

Famous Chinese Actresses || Tang Wei 汤唯

Famous Chinese Actresses || FAQs

PS || Don’t worry, we’ve not missed the men out. You can find our list of top Chinese actors right here.

Famous Chinese Actresses || Fan Bingbing 范冰冰

Fan Bingbing gets pride of place at the top of this list because she’s the first famous Chinese actress I ever heard of.

Although, I actually only heard of her firstly because of a scandal she was involved in in the media.

I never found out at the time what happened but thanks to the motivation of writing this article, I ended up figuring out what happened.

We’ll cover that shortly – but scandals aside, Fan Bingbing is a household name in Chinese cinema and certainly one of the most famous Chinese actresses around.

If you’ve ever watched a Chinese film or know anything about Chinese cinema or pop culture, you’ll surely have come across her!

Aside from being a famous Chinese actress, she’s also a singer, model, and TV producer.

Over the past 20+ years, she has risen to become a global star.

NOTE || This article is about Fan Bingbing, not to be confused with Li Bingbing who we will see later (unrelated to Fan Bingbing).

1998-1999 (and pre-1998)

Fan Bingbing studied at the Shanghai Xie Jin Film and Television Art College and Shanghai Theatre Academy.

After graduation, she played in a few minor roles.

Through these minor roles, she was noticed by a Hong Kong actress who recommended her to be a part of the cast of My Fair Princess.

It was her role in this drama that aired from 1998 – 1999 that saw her first recognition with some big players in Chinese cinema.

2003 – 2017

2003 was Fan Bingbing’s big break as she starred in the critically acclaimed Cell Phone movie.

For this movie, she won her first award (Best Actress, 27th Hundred Flowers Awards) and nomination (Outstanding New Actress, Huabiao Awards).

The Hundred Flower Awards, which we’ll mention multiple times in this article, is China’s answer to the Golden Globes and, together with the Golden Rooster awards, are the most prestigious acting and film awards in China.

She then went on to appear in various other films over the next few years, rising to fame as one of the most famous Chinese actresses both domestically and internationally.

She made various appearances abroad including at the Cannes Film Festival and various fashion shows in Paris.

Fan starred in various films such as Lost in Thailand (with friend famous Chinese actor Xu Zheng), The Founding of a Party, and Shaolin.

She is also notably a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

During the years 2013 – 2017, she was included in the Forbes Chinese Celebrity top 100 list for the most highly-paid celebrity.

Times magazine featured Fan Bingbing as one of the most influential people in 2017.

During the same year, she was named as global ambassador for various companies such as Mont Blanc and King Power.

Top 20 Most Famous Chinese Actors (+ Pics, Profiles and Movie List)

Who is your favourite Chinese actor? We run down the top 20 most famous Chinese actors (+ 10 more from Hong Kong) and give a brief introduction to each one.

2018

2018 was when I was in Beijing and starting to get interested in Chinese pop culture.

She was a big name on social media and trending at the time as she disappeared for 3 months for alleged tax evasion.

I never chased up the ending to this drama but apparently, she reappeared and apologised to fans, and was fined over 100 million USD. That’s a lot of money…

Despite the scandal, she is still a global celebrity and one of the most famous Chinese celebrities around, consistently being cast in big hit films and movies that break box office records.

Not only a famous Chinese actress in China, but she’s also had starring roles in French, Korean, and even Hollywood movies.

DID YOU KNOW || She’s starred alongside some big names including Penelope Cruz and Hugh Jackman. Barbie even made a doll out of her and Louis Vuitton selected her to walk down the red carpet in their specially tailored dress.

She’s big news. If it’s got Fan Bingbing in it, you know it’s likely to be a good film.

Fan Bingbing Famous Chinese Movies/Series

• My Fair Princess 還珠格格 (1998) – TV series
• Lost in Beijing 苹果 (2007)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Yao Chen 姚晨

Referred to multiple times as China’s answer to Angelina Jolie, Yao Chen certainly makes it on the list of most famous Chinese actresses out there.

Her success it recognised globally.

She has been named one of the most influential women in the world by both Forbes and Times magazines, and she’s ranked consistently high in both of their top 100 China Celebrity lists in recent years.

She’s won, or has been nominated for, over twenty nominations/awards over the time of her career – which has been less than twenty years itself.

Her rise to fame was fairly quick and her natural talent is shown in her natural rise to fame.

Apart from acting, she’s also very famous for her activism and philanthropic work she does.

FUN FACT || She’s one of Weibo’s biggest users (with over 80 million followers). She uses the platform for activism bringing up and sharing various issues with her followers as she travels the world visiting refugees in various locations around the globe.

She was named the Honorary Patron of China by UNHCR and in 2016, the World Economic Forum named her as one of the “Young Global Leaders”.

Weibo is China’s very popular social media platform. For more information on Chinese social media, why not check out our blog on Chinese social media.

1993 – 1997

Yao Chen studied Chinese traditional dance at the Beijing Dance Academy.

1999 – 2003

She studied at the Beijing Film Academy.

2006

She found fame in her starring role as a martial artist in the series My Own Swordsman.

This series was a big hit and it saw her quick rise to fame.

This, combined with her following role in 2008 in a series called Lurk for which she won two Best Actress awards.

2008 – 2018

During these years she solidifies her place as one of China’s most famous actresses.

She plays a number of starring roles in various blockbuster hits – both domestically and internationally.

2019

In 2019 she plays a leading role in the Chinese drama All Is Well 都挺好.

This is the first time I saw Yao Chen. The drama was an absolutely massive hit in China and I’d really recommend it for anyone learning Chinese or interested in learning about Chinese culture and getting into watching more Chinese dramas!

It’s very accessible and a really good watch.

Yao Chen Famous Chinese Movies 

• Firestorm 风暴2 (2013)
• Monster Hunt 捉妖记 (2015)
• Journey To The West 2 西游伏妖篇 (2017)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhao Wei 赵薇

The third actress on our list of top famous Chinese actresses is Zhao Wei.

She’s one of those that deserves her own blog post.

赵 is often regarded as one of the most noteworthy famous Chinese actresses in recent years and is referred to as one of the Four Dan Actresses (see below for explanation on that).

Indeed, her rise to fame was speedy and she has been in the Chinese media a lot over the past 20 years – but it hasn’t been without its controversy as we will see below.

Indeed, Zhao Wei’s whereabouts are currently unknown and it seems China has shunned her since 2021 removing all of her advertisements and movies from Chinese platforms…

So, quite the life to cover.

FOUR DAN ACTRESSES || A term used in 2000 by the Guangzhou Editorial to refer to four prominent Chinese actresses that were all in their 20s at the time, and super famous. The name soon caught on and it was later used by other publications, solidifying this title. We will see who the other Four Dan Actresses in this article.

She’s probably most famous for her role played in the Chinese hit movie Mulan (different from the Disney one).

She was cast over other famous Chinese actresses we’ll see in this article including Zhang Ziyi and Li Yifei.

As well as being a famous Chinese actress, she’s also a successful director, producer, pop singer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She’s also a lover of wine and owns many famous vineyards in France!

She may be one of the top-earning famous Chinese actresses, but she also donates a lot of her earnings to causes such as the Taiwanese 921 earthquake, the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, and the Anhui government (the government of her hometown) as it was suffering flooding.

1993

Her acting career started back in 1993 when she was cast for a film being produced in her hometown.

For this role, she received little attention as her role wasn’t even a spoken one.

However, it did spark her interest in acting and from here, she decided to pursue it as a career.

1998 – 1999

She becomes an instant hit in her role as Little Swallow in the hit series My Fair Princess.

She has talked about how hard she worked during this time and, as her first major production, she just presumed that this was normal.

This series My Fair Princess will come up again later on in this article for another famous Chinese actress it sent skyrocketing to fame.

If you haven’t seen the series, maybe you could consider giving it a watch. Despite the fact it is over 20 years old now, it was still a hit series during this time and remains popular today!

2000+

After her rise to fame during her performance in My Fair Princess, she went on to play in various starring roles in big productions, including in both mainland China and Hong Kong.

If you’ve ever watched the Chinese version of Shrek 2, you will have come across Zhao Wei at least in sound if not in sight, as she was cast to dub Fiona in the film in 2004.

2009

Zhao Wei is cast amongst other famous Chinese actresses to play the role of Hua Mulan in the film Mulan for which she received various awards, including Best Actress in both Shanghai and at the Hundred Flowers awards.

2010

She takes a break from acting to give birth to her daughter.

2012

After entering in 2006, Zhao Wei received her film directing master’s degree from Beijing Film Academy.

Not only did she receive her degree but she was also one of the highest-scoring candidates ever.

She also returns to acting for a role in the production Love.

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2013

In 2013, her film So Young which was her debut as a director came out.

It was received very well both by critics and at the box office, breaking box office records and even becoming one of the highest-grossing films in China.

For this production, she won many awards including ones in both mainland China and Hong Kong.

2014 – 2017

As well as starring in various big roles she also spent this time as a judge, jury, and spokesperson in multiple film festivals and awards.

Controversy

Despite her success, there has also been a number of controversial moments with Zhao. Let’s get stuck in!

2001

It starts in 2001 where Zhao Wei does a photo shoot for L’Officiel wearing a dress that allegedly (when certain parts are pieced together) forms the nationalist Japanese flag used during WW2.

This is still very alive in the psyche of many Chinese today who feel anti-Japanese sentiments due to this time period.

The netizens were quick to point it out and blame her at first. However, in a twist, it seemed as if she may have been set up, so support went back to her side. She made an apology nonetheless.

Even her performance as Little Swallow was criticised as bad for children due to the rebellious nature of her character.

2004

Next up in 2004 her friend Zao with whom she started a business accused her of hiring someone to hit her.

Before it went to court, however, it appeared that the medical report was fabricated and the case was dropped.

Interestingly enough, later it came out that Zao was the L’Officiel editor at the time of the dress incident.

It doesn’t end here!

2016

In 2016, she is accused of being a “public enemy” and “traitor” to the nation, as well as an American spy.

Apparently, shaking hands with Hillary Clinton, in the eyes of the Chinese netizens wins you the ‘American Spy’ title.

Nationalists from the Communist Youth League berated her for the casting of pro-Taiwan independent Leon Dai.

But wait, there’s more…

2021

A few other things happen but it seems to culminate in 2021 when she disappears. Yes, you read that right!

Her Weibo disappears and her films and TV series also disappear from Chinese streaming platforms…

Some reports state that she is in France, and some state she is in China in her hometown.

To be continued…

Zhao Wei Famous Chinese Movies

• Mulan 花木兰 (2009)
• Love 爱 (2012, Taiwanese/Chinese)
• So Young 致我们终将逝去的青春 (2013 – Zhao Wei as director)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Yang Mi 杨幂

Another one of the Four Dan Actresses, Yang Mi can be found in many famous Chinese films and dramas.

She has over 110 million followers on Weibo and has played starring roles in various box office hits, including the Jacky Chan film Reset.

And if you’ve ever seen Kung Fu Panda 3, you might have heard her voice as she plays the role of Mei Mei in the Chinese dub version.

Her acting career started early as she debuted at the age of only 4 in the 1990’s series Tang Ming Huang.

She establishes herself as one of China’s most famous actresses.

Yang received various awards for her roles – but at the same time also the proud (?) holder of the award for the Most Disappointing Actress at the Golden Broom Awards (although this was only one time and not a fair representation of her acting career).

1990s+

Following her early debut in the 1990s, later on and in the early 2000s, she continued to play various roles as a child and make impressions on producers and directors, slowly building up her acting portfolio but not quite starting to make the big bucks yet.

2001

2001 saw her return to the entertainment business as she started working as a model.

2003

It wasn’t until 2003 that Yang Mi officially started her acting career.

2003+

Over the next 20 years, Yang Mi solidifies herself within the acting business starring in various major roles and winning various awards.

She stars in Beijing Love Story which is a great series for those wanting to get into Chinese dramas.

She gets several films made tailored to her after a big success with the previous one – but unfortunately, these films were a bit of a flop.

She stars in The Breakup Guru, one of the highest-grossing films in China, and fantasy dramas that led to her fame both domestically and abroad.

She then starred in Jacky Chan’s film Reset for which she won the award for Best Actress at the 50th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.

2021

She openly cut ties with Adidas after brands such as these were seemingly using Uyghur cotton through forced labour.

Her most recent film is called A Writer’s Odyssey 刺杀小说家 (2021).

Yang Mi Famous Chinese Movies

• Beijing Love Story 北京爱情故事 (2012, series)
• The Witness 我是证人 (2015)
• The Interpreter 亲爱的翻译官 (2016, series)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhao Liying 赵丽颖

Zhao Yiling is a face you’ll see around China a lot.

As the brand ambassador for Chanel in China and a wax figurine of herself at the Madamme Tussauds in Beijing, you’ll probably know her face without having seen any of her films or dramas.

According to a report by VLinkage, Zhao’s combined dramas’ views reached over 110 billion views in 2016 – which was the most views by a Chinese actor at the time.

Zhao Liying is a famous Chinese actress you need to know.

2006

Zhao Yiling was born in a village and attended the Langfang School of Electronic Information Engineering.

In 2006, her life path changed as she participated – and WON – the Yahoo Search Star Game.

This led to her signing her first contract and shortly after her first role in 2007.

2010

2010 was a big year for Zhao Yiling as it is when her career first started to take off properly.

She starred in The Dream of Red Mansions and shortly after in 2011 starred in New My Fair Princess.

Both of these roles paid a big part in gaining recognition as a prominent Chinese actress throughout China.

2013

Zhao Yiling’s role in Legend of Lu Zhen gained her popularity throughout both Japan and Korea.

2014

Her recognition by this point had grown so much that in 2014, she won the Golden Eagle Goddess Award at the China Golden Eagle TV Arts Festival.

Her career takes new heights in the following year in 2015 as she stars in the romance drama The Journey of a Flower.

For this role, she received multiple awards and nominations.

Zhao Yiling Best Chinese Movies

• Legend of Lu Zhen 陆贞传奇 (2013, series)
• Boss & Me 杉杉来了 (2014)
• The Monkey King 3 西游记女儿国 (2018)

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Famous Chinese Actresses || Gong Li 巩俐

Gong Li is an internationally famous Chinese actress. She has played starring roles within China and also internationally.

She was also voted as the most beautiful woman in China!

She’s worked together with famous Chinese director Zhang Yimo on multiple occasions, has played international roles in films such as Memoirs of a Geisha and Miami Vice, and has also appeared on the cover of Times magazine.

She’s one of the most famous Chinese actresses out there.

Gong has not only won awards but she has won the most prestigious awards at the most prestigious award ceremonies – multiple times.

She has three Hundred Flower awards and two Golden Rooster awards.

She’s also been the jury at multiple prestigious film festivals such as Berlin and Venice.

In terms of famous Chinese actresses, Gong Li is a big deal.

1987

Spotted by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimo and cast in his Red Sorgum production.

1989

Graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing.

1990s

Gong Li became a well-known famous Chinese actress amongst the fifth-generation of filmmakers in China – of which Zhang Yimo is one of.

She stars in various famous and critically acclaimed Zhang Yimo films, including Red Sorghum and Raise the Red Lantern.

These are two films that I would highly recommend if you haven’t seen them before.

They were praised both domestically and internationally and highlight important issues in China as well as providing interesting and insightful historical accounts.

They are both powerful movies that won awards at both Venice and Cannes Film Festival.

Fifth Generation Filmmakers || If you’re interested in Chinese cinema, you’re sure to come across the term ‘Fifth Generation Filmmakers’. This term simply refers to a certain generation of filmmakers in China. One of the most famous is Zhang Yimo.

They were the first group of filmmakers to graduate since the Cultural Revolution and are known for producing arthouse style films depicting cultural and social issues.

Throughout the 1990s she went on to make various other films include Farewell My Concubine (which was originally banned in China) as well as The Emperor and The Assassin which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999.

2005

Her first English speaking role was in Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005.

From 2005 onwards, she continued to play in other english speaking roles such as Hannibal Rising and Miami Vice, as well as various starring roles in critically acclaimed Chinese movies.

She was cast in the live action version of Mulan in 2020 and recently in the 2020 film Leap 夺冠 based on the story of a women’s volleyball team.

She applied for Singaporean citizenship in 2008 but then appears to have renounced this in 2021 in favour for Chinese citizenship.

She continues to be one of the most famous Chinese actresses around. If it’s got Gong Li in it, you can be sure to be in for a good movie experience!

Gong Li Famous Chinese Movies

• Raise the Red Lantern 大红灯笼高高挂 (1991)
• Farewell My Concubine 霸王别姬 (1993)
• Miami Vice (2006)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Li Bingbing 李冰冰

Definitely not Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing is an entirely different actress – although the ‘bingbing’ are the same characters, they’re not related.

Like Fan Bingbing, however, Li Bingbing is one of the most famous Chinese actresses around.

She’s cropped up in Forbes Top 100 China Celebrity list for multiple years and has starred alongside actors like Jason Statham in Hollywood blockbusters including Resident Evil and Transformers.

Also with her hands in a few charitable pies, the World Wildlife Fund called Li Bingbing “the most influential global ambassador”.

DID YOU KNOW || She also has her own charity called L.O.V.E.

1993

Despite no original interest in acting an instead pursuing a career as a teacher, a friend managed to persuade Li Bingbing to join the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1993.

1999

1999 saw Li Bingbing’s first role in the movie Seventeen Years.

From here, after a couple of other big roles in Chinese films that became big hits, Li Bingbing quickly solidified her name in Chinese cinema as one of the most famous Chinese actresses.

Over the next 10 years she had more than four different big films in China and also received multiple awards and nominations during this period.

2010

Li established her own studio. She also co-produced a film with Jackie Chan.

2011

2011 saw Li Bingbing’s entrance into the world of English language cinema and Hollywood.

She played a starring role in the film Snow Flower and the Secret Fan which premiered at the Cannes film festival.

She then played a role in one of the Resident Evil films, and another film called 400 Boys.

Since then, she’s performed in a Transformers movie and also alongside Jason Statham.

Li Bingbing Famous Chinese Movies

• A World Without Thieves 天下无贼 (2004)
• The Forbidden Kingdom 功夫之王 (2008)
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

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Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhang Ziyi 章子怡

Another of the Four Dan Actresses!

Zhang Ziyi is certainly one of the most famous Chinese actresses around.

If you don’t believe me – ask Forbes. They featured her in their TOP 5 on their China Celebrity 100 list for over 6 years between 2004 and 2010.

She’s played in multiple Wuxia roles and is famous both domestically and internationally.

How did Zhang Ziyi rise to fame? Here’s how…

1996

In 1996, she entered the Central Academy of Drama Beijing to study acting. Before this, she was trained and went to school as a dancer.

1999

Zhang Ziyi gets her first starring role in The Road to Home – a Zhang Yimo film (we mention this director above).

For this role, she won a Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress.

2013

In her film The Grandmaster, she won 12 different Best Actress awards for her role.

If you’re going to check out a Zhang Ziyi film, you might want to make it this one…

2013 Onwards

Zhang Ziyi’s place is firmly secured by this point as one of the most famous Chinese actresses.

She plays in various starring Wuxia roles as well as in international productions, including the starring role in Memoirs of a Geisha alongside famous Chinese actress Gong Li.

2021

She makes her directoral debut with a short film entitled Shi as part of the film My Country, My Parents.

Zhang Ziyi Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 卧虎藏龙(2000)
• House of Flying Daggers 十面埋伏 (2004)
• Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Dilraba Dilmurat 迪丽热巴

Dilraba might be one of the biggest and most famous Chinese actresses on our list currently.

Statista ranked her second as the most popular celebrity on Douyin (Chinese TikTok) in 2020 and Forbes ranked her in their list of 30 influential people under the age of 30.

Although she has made a handful of films, she’s most well-known for her roles in various TV series and dramas.

Not just an actress, she has also worked as a dancer, singer, model, and host.

You may have noticed by the name that she is of Uyghur ethnicity and from Xinjiang.

2000-2010

From a young age Dilraba was interested in the entertainment business. Or at least, her family encouraged her to pursue it.

She entered the Xinjiang Art Middle School when she was a young child then went onto the Xinjiang Arts Institute.

She graduated from here in 2007 where she then went on to join the Xinjiang Song and Dance Troupe.

In 2010, she started at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

2013

In 2013 she made her acting debut in the series Anarhan.

Following this, she made appearances in other popular series for which she won or was nominated for various awards such as the Audience’s Favourite Newcomer award and the Outstanding New Actress award.

Over the next few years, she stars in various series that all are received very positively.

She often plays in romance and fantasy roles, as well as some Wuxia roles.

2019

Dilraba made an appearance on the CCTV New Year’s Gala. The most famous Chinese actress and actor recognition!

2022

One of her most recent dramas sees her cast alongside famous Chinese actor Ren Jialun, in The Blue Whisper.

Dilraba Dilmurat Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Eternal Love 三生三世十里桃花 (2017)
• Pretty Li Huizhen 漂亮的李慧珍 (2017)
• Sweet Dreams 一千零一夜 (2018)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhou Xun 周迅

The fourth and final of the Four Dan Actresses scattered around this list of famous Chinese actresses.

She was the first famous Chinese actress to win the grand slam of the three biggest awards in China from the Golden Horse Awards, Golden Rooster Awards, and Hong Kong Film Awards.

Zhou has also won Best Actress honours from so many awards and ceremonies too.

Zhou has been on the cover of Vogue China and Vogue Taiwan – amongst much more magazine coverage she’s had.

Zhou Xun is a big deal! So, how did she get there?

1995

Zhou Xun’s actress debut was back in 1995. She debuted in the comedy movie The Pampered Wife, then went on to have roles in a couple of other films.

2000

It wasn’t until 2000 and Suzhou River that Zhou Xun started to gain recognition across China.

Since this big success, a string of other successes followed.

2006

Zhou Xun becomes the global spokesperson for the Miu Miu fashion brand.

2012

She makes a Hollywood debut in the film Cloud Atlas.

Zhou Xun Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Suzhou River 苏州河 (2000)
• Beijing Bicycle 十七岁的单车 (2002)
• Cloud Atlas (2012)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Sun Li 孙俪

Another Grand Slam winner like Zhou Xun above, Sun Li was actually the youngest famous Chinese actress to win this title.

She got her break reaching the finals in the Star Search series and became part of Hairun Media after the competition.

Since then, she’s received awards from the Hundred Flowers awards and starred alongside famous Chinese actors such as Jet Li.

2003

After the competition, she was cast in the lead role of the TV series Goddess of Mercy for which she received a lot of praise.

2008

She stars in Painted Skin alongside famous Chinese actress Zhou Xun.

Over the next 10 years, Sun Li gains recognition both internationally and domestically.

She is praised a lot for her roles in historical dramas and has since been awarded and nominated for multiple Best Actress awards.

In 2019, she also is selected to star in the Zhang Yimo film Shadow.

Sun Li Famous Chinese Films/Dramas

• Iron Road (2019, Canadian/Chinese)
• Empresses in the Palace 后宫·甄嬛传 (2011)
• Shadow 影 (2018)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhou Dongyu 周冬雨

One of my personal favourite famous Chinese actresses, Zhou Dongyu has been slowly climbing up the ranks in the Chinese celebrity status rankings over recent years.

Back in 2017, Forbes had her at 71st on their Chinese Celebrity 100 list.

By 2020, she had worked her way up to 3rd place.

She’s one of my favourite Chinese actresses for her performance in the 2018 film Us and Them.

It’s one of the first Chinese films I watched and I’d really recommend it. It’s a beautiful story and really well filmed.

2010

Her rise to fame is somewhat incredible. Famous Chinese director Zhang Yimo selected her to play the starring role in his film Under The Hawthorne Tree despite her lack of any previous acting.

After she was cast in this role, she rose to immediate fame as the film was well received (as with most of Zhang Yimou’s films).

She also won several awards including Best Actress, Outstanding New Actress, and Best New Actress.

She has since gone on to make multiple big hits.

Zhou Dongyu Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Soul Mate 七月与安生 (2016)
• Us and Them 后来的我们 (2018)
• Better Days 少年的你 (2019)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Zhang Zifeng 张子枫

As well as one of the most famous Chinese actresses, Zhang Zifeng is also one of the youngest famous Chinese actresses today.

Despite the fact that she is still currently in college (attending the Beijing Film Academy), she already has a lot of experience under her belt and is considered one of the youngest and most successful Chinese actresses out there.

She absolutely HAS to make this list because she stars in one of my favourite Chinese movies ever.

This movie I have seen more than 4 or 5 times. It’s one of those comfort films and also includes one of my favourite Chinese actors!

Fake Fiction 摩登年代 was released in 2013, back when Zhang Zifeng was only around 11 years old. She still plays an amazing role and carries on her fabulous acting career today.

2009

She stars in her first movie Wushu 武术之少年行 at the age of 8.

2012

She becomes the youngest-ever Chinese actress to win an award at the Hundred Flowers Awards.

2015

She appears in Detective Chinatown 唐人街·探案, then again in 2021 for Detective Chinatown 3.

2019

In 2019, she has a role in the patriotic film My People, My Country 我和我的祖国 which is famous for its all-star cast (see the picture at the very beginning of the article).

Zhang Zifeng Famous Chinese Movies/Series

• My People, My Country 我和我的祖国 (2019)
• Fake Fiction 摩登年代 (2013)
• Detective Chinatown 唐人街·探案 (2015)

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Famous Chinese Actresses || Liu Yifei 刘亦菲

Known as the ‘Fairy Sister’ in China, she has appeared on Forbes Top 100 Chinese Celebrity list multiple times and is both domestically and internationally famous.

If you’ve ever seen the Disney live-action remake of Mulan, you’ll have seen Liu Yifei in her starring role of Mulan!

DID YOU KNOW || Liu Yifei is actually her stage name.

Her real name is 刘茜美子 – although this was also changed once before to be different from her original birth name of An Feng 安风.

2003

Liu was admitted into Beijing Film Academy. The same year, she also receives her first role which would send her to fame.

2005

She was chosen as the Golden Eagle Goddess at the Golden Eagle Film Awards.

Liu Yifei Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Love in Disguise 恋爱通告 (2010)
• The Third Way of Love 第三种爱情 (2015)
• Mulan (live-action, 2017)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Hao Lei  郝蕾

A graduate of the Shanghai Film Academy, Hao Lei gets a place on our list of famous Chinese actresses for being well-known both internationally and domestically.

Her debut film Summer Palace was received well abroad but due to some sensitivities, it is banned in China.

She has featured in a number of other famous Chinese movies which you can see below.

Hao Lei Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Mystery 浮城謎事 (2012)
• One Night Only 天亮之前 (2016, Chinese/Taiwanese)
• The Last Woman Standing 剩者为王 (2015, Chinese/Hong Kong)

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Famous Chinese Actresses || Yang Zi 杨紫

Another personal favourite, Yang Zi or Andy Yang as she is otherwise known is another Beijing Film Academy graduate.

Young, she has a lot still going for her in the world of Chinese cinema and in terms of solidifying her place as one of the most famous Chinese actresses.

Slowly creeping up in the Forbes 100 Chinese Celebrity ranks, she moved from 73rd in 2017 to 8th in 2021.

She is also a famous singer and philanthropist.

She played the starring role in Go Go Squid! (where I first saw her and where she has a starring role alongside another very famous Chinese actor).

Yang Zi Famous Chinese Movies

• Battle of Changsha 战长沙 (2014)
• Ode to Joy 欢乐颂 (2014, series)
• Go Go Squid! 亲爱的，热爱的 (2019, series)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Guan Xiaotong 关晓彤

In China, she is known as the Nation’s Daughter.

She began acting at just the age of four and has since gone on to be one of the most famous actresses in China.

DID YOU KNOW || Guan started her acting career in the film Nuan at the age of just four years old.

In 2016 she entered the Beijing Film Academy and less than two years later she joined forces with Zhang Yimou as she is cast in the film, Shadow.

关晓彤 is also listed by Forbes as one of the 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 list.

Guan Xiaotong Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• The Left Ear 左耳 (2015)
• To Be a Better Man 好先生 (2016)
• Shadow 影 (2018)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Ni Ni 倪妮

Ni Ni is considered as one of the most famous Chinese actresses and is a brand ambassador for some massive brands such as Tiffany and Gucci.

She has starred alongside Angelababy and other famous actors and actresses.

She has won or been nominated for around 20 Best Actress awards for various performances.

Her most recent production is the 2022 West out of the Yu Men 西出玉门.

Ni Ni Famous Movies/Series

• Love and Destiny 宸汐缘 (2019)
• The Warriors Gate 勇士之門 (2016) (Chinese/French)
• Shock Wave 2 拆弹专家2 (2021)

Famous Chinese Actresses || Tang Yan 唐嫣

Tang Yan’s rise to fame was natural as she was noticed from a young age and cast shortly after she graduated from college.

It wasn’t long after her first debut that she was cast for much bigger roles, ultimately leading her to be one of the most famous Chinese actresses.

Her roles often include roles in sci-fi and historic productions – not really my cup of tea so I can’t say I’ve seen her play in too many roles.

If that’s your kind of genre, then be sure to check out some of Tang Yan’s films.

2004

Tang Yan was selected as one of the 14 Olympic Babies performance directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimo for the Athens Olympics in 2004.

2006

Graduated from the Central Academy of Drama.

2007

She made her acting debut in a series called Carol of Zhenguan and then starred in another production called Farewell for Love.

For the latter, she received her first nomination in her acting career for Best Actress at the Shanghai Film Awards.

2009

2009 saw Tang Wei’s rise to fame as she starred in Chinese Paladin.

A massive hit which led to her starring in various roles in both film and series over the next few years, acting next to some big names in Chinese cinema including one of the most famous Taiwanese celebrities Jay Chou (周杰伦).

2015

After these few years of playing roles in very popular dramas, she found success very quickly.

From 2015 onwards, she quickly became one of China’s most famous actresses.

She starred in various films and dramas, both domestically and internationally.

Tang Yan Famous Chinese Movies/Series

• The Lost Tomb 盗墓笔记 (2015)
• Bounty Hunters 赏金猎人 (2016) (Chinese/South Korean)
• A Chinese Odyssey Part Three 大话西游3 (2016) (Chinese/Hong Kong)

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Famous Chinese Actresses || Tang Wei 汤唯

Tang Wei never intended to enter show business, although she does come from an arty and creative family, with both parents as artists.

Her rise to become one of the most famous Chinese actresses didn’t come easily.

Her first big break, Lust, Caution, was banned in China soon after its release.

Nevertheless, her talents were noticed time and time again and now she has won multiple awards over the years and remains one of the most famous Chinese actresses.

She’s well known for throwing herself fully into roles, including learning different languages and dialects for her roles; including both Shanghainese and Cantonese.

1997

In 1997, Tang Wei tried her hand at modelling. Originally wanting to become a lawyer or archaeologist, it was this brief stint modelling that gave her the idea to get into acting.

She then went on to play a very minor role in the television series Chinese Female Football.

After this, she attended and majored in directing at the Central Academy of Drama.

She then met Stan Lai, an American-Taiwanese playwright who noticed her talents and recommended her for several productions.

She then played roles in several minor TV series in mainland China over the next few years.

2006

It wasn’t until the release of Lust, Caution that Tang Wei found her big break.

For her performance, she won two awards and became quite a name in China, for a couple of years.

But, it wasn’t meant to be…

Soon after its release, China banned the film due to Tang’s performance of sexual acts. She lost major roles in big films she was supposed to play in, and also lost her endorsements. All of the adverts involving her and adverts of the movie were removed.

It seems that at this point, Tang Wei’s name was damaged and she almost moved back to where she had started.

2009

She attends drama classes at the University of Reading in the UK.

2010

In 2010, she stars again in the movie Crossing Hennessey. For this role, she learnt Cantonese, as it was a Hong Kong production.

In 2010 she also filmed Late Autumn alongside a very famous South Korean actor called Hyun Bin (you’ll know him if you’re into South Korean films/dramas).

For her performance in this film, she became the only non-Korean to win the Best Actress award at the Baeksang Awards.

2012

She played in Dragon, a film Times magazine named the 8th best movie of 2012.

2013

Film Finding Mr. Right comes out. She stars alongside famous Chinese actor Wu Xiaolu and the film is a big hit in China.

After this, she stars in various other major productions.

2015

In 2015, she makes her debut in an English language film in the American production Blackhat.

In this film, she stars alongside Chris Hemsworth and famous Taiwanese actor and singer Wang Leehom.

2022

Her most recent film is a South Korean film called Decision to Leave. Her performance in this film was very well received.

Tang Wei Famous Chinese Movies/Dramas

• Crossing Hennessey 月满轩尼诗, 2010
• Finding Mr. Right 北京遇上西雅图, 2013
• Blackhat 2015 (US production)

And that’s it from our list of most famous Chinese actresses! We hope you discovered some new actresses, TV shows and movies to enjoy.

If you enjoyed this list, why not check out our list of famous Chinese actors and our favourite Russian actors and actresses?

Any famous actresses in China we’ve missed out that you want included? Why not tell us in the comments below!

Chinese Actresses || FAQs

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