The stage production tells the story of a woman's evolution. CHINA DAILY

Beneath the glitter of stardom, there was a yearning for a more meaningful form of expression — something rooted in history, heritage and culture. It was a longing to do more than entertain; she wanted to create something that would resonate beyond the superficiality of pop fame. That's when Miao culture, a tradition she is closely connected to through her ancestry, entered her life with full force.

From 2012 to 2016, she spent her days in remote villages in Hunan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, where the Miao and Tujia live. During her stay, she recorded folk songs and dance moves. She also learned miaogu, a Miao percussion performance, from 89-year-old Hong Fuqiang in Baojing county in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture in Hunan. It was there that she officially became an inheritor of Miao drum dance, setting the stage for her next artistic chapter.