Though Chen was one of the most famous stars at that time, she chose to seek education in the United States in 1981.

"I was ignorant, young and confused then. Although I gained fame almost overnight, I felt very uneasy. I was studying at Shanghai International Studies University then. Shooting films was interesting to me but I thought it was not a credible career I could devote my life to. And I got an offer to study in the US and thought I should go abroad," she said.

Looking back on her early years in the US, Chen says she endured a lot of hardships, including working at restaurants and doing babysitting jobs. But she returned to the industry thanks to Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor.

"The first time in my life I sensed the poetic aspect of cinema...Since then I've renewed my love of film," Chen said.

Now mostly working behind the camera, Chen recently shot her latest film English, which features Chen as both director and screenwriter, in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region.