The star image of Fan Bingbing by

Early career: the gentle and sweet image of "Jinsuo "(1998-2003)

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My Fair Princess (1998)

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In 1998, Fan Bingbing became a household name for her portrayal of Jinsuo in My Fair Princess (1998). As the maid of the female lead in the drama, Jinsuo has the typical image of a loyal, simple, gentle and submissive woman in ancient costume. The success of this role, on the one hand, created an audience base for Fan Bingbing, but on the other hand, it also stereotyped this submissive personality in Fan Bingbing, leading to a period of time after which most of her roles were characterised as meek and sweet women.

Aiqingbaodian (2002)

201690464 — 2025-10-22 21:20:28 UTC

In the years that followed, most of the roles Fan Bingbing took on continued to resemble Jinsuo. In Aiqingbaodian (2002), her role as the courtesan is still the same as that of a gentle and beautiful ancient woman. The difference was that the character had more personality than before, but at the time, people were mostly concerned about Fan's beauty and positioned her as a minor player , unable to get rid of the impression of Jinsuo.

Fan's early interview

201690464 — 2025-10-23 20:16:05 UTC

According to news reports at the time, Fan Bingbing described herself as "a quiet person who does not make a lot of noise or make a fuss", thus mapping out the positioning and marketing of her early image of gentleness and submissiveness.

Fan's transition period (2003-2007)

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Cell phone (2003)

201690464 — 2025-10-23 22:04:53 UTC

In 2003, Fan Bingbing starred in the famous director Feng Xiaogang's film Mobile Phone (2003), in which she played a role that overturned her previous image - Wu Yue. Wu Yue is beautiful, sexy, but also has a complicated identity as a mistress, which was a very daring image in Chinese society at that time. Fan Bingbing's bold attempt won her Best Supporting Actress at the 27th Hundred Flowers Awards, and completed her transition from small-screen supporting role to big-screen actress.

A dispute with her original agency

201690464 — 2025-10-24 19:42:53 UTC

In fact, in addition to the role constraints brought about by Jinsuo, Fan Bingbing's contract with Qiong Yao was even more of a real-life constraint. During the contract period, she felt that her development was controlled, so she resolutely proposed to terminate the contract. Qiong Yao refused and publicly accused her of being ungrateful, and the two sides once went to court. But from the dispute, it's clear that Fan Bingbing is in fact more determined and strong than the impression people have had of her character in the past.

Fan's interview about transformation

201690464 — 2025-10-24 20:36:02 UTC

In an interview, Fan Bingbing expressed her desire to transform herself through the film, saying that she hopes people won't just remember Jin Suo's image.

Fan as a victim of online sexual slander

201690464 — 2025-10-24 21:44:39 UTC

Fan Bingbing's attempt at transformation not only brought her new opportunities, but also new challenges. The role of Wu Yue has made "sexy" and "mistress" Fan Bingbing's new titles, and many media outlets have been start a rumour of Fan Bingbing's involvement in pornography and illicit relationships with many men.

The transformation of roles

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The crisis brought about by transformation

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Awarded for the role

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This news report covered the news that Fan Bingbing won the award.

Medical verification of her natural appearance

201690464 — 2025-10-24 22:34:36 UTC

As Fan Bingbing became popular, there were rumours about her that intensified. Her beauty has not only facilitated her acting career, but also brought about endless rumours. In order to stop the rumours from spreading, Fan went to the hospital to verify that she did not have plastic surgery.

Establish her own studio

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The reasons for establishing the studio and the subsequent plans

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In 2007, Fan Bingbing announced the establishment of her personal studio. This means that she has changed from being an artiste under a company to being her own boss, and it is also the starting point for her to take control of her personal image, capital and voice.

The peak of Fan's career: aggressive and strong (2007-2017)

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Rouge Snow (2008)

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Rouge Snow (2008) is Fan Bingbing's first independent project after she set up her own studio, in which she not only acts as the female lead, but also participates in script revision, costume styling, and publicity strategy. Unlike her earlier sweet image, the film's heroine is a resolute woman who has gone through family changes but still stands on her own feet, which confirms her determination and success in her transformation.

Global fashion icon

201690464 — 2025-10-25 02:56:39 UTC

The Empress of China (2014)

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The Empress of China (2014) is another successful TV series from Fan Bingbing's studio, which set a new national ratings high in 2015 and broke several records for domestic dramas.

The TV drama was taken off the air

201690464 — 2025-10-25 20:32:28 UTC

According to news reports, the television programme was taken off the air in the middle of its broadcast. There has been much speculation about the suspension, but some insiders have revealed that the TV programme was suspended because some of the episodes and images were too explicit, which led to complaints. The other deep-seated reason is that the competition among the various TV channels is very fierce and the Empress of China (2014) is currently leading in the ratings, so it is being snitched behind the scenes, which ultimately led to this suspension incident.

Fan responded

201690464 — 2025-10-25 20:34:17 UTC

In the face of the phenomenon of her starring TV series suffering from suspension, Fan Bingbing released a weibo (a Chinese social platform), suspected to respond, she said she would not be affected by a malefactor, implicitly expressing her anger about the suspension incident as well as the indomitable spirit.

Fan's first red carpet appearance at the Cannes Film Festival

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Consistent presence on global red carpets

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Queen of the red carpet

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The title of this article directly calls Fan Bingbing the queen of the red carpet, showing the style she creates and her status in the fashion world.

Facilitate cultural exchange

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The red carpet look is to convey national pride

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Fan Bingbing's response to the dragon robe look is not a claptrap. In the past, she was often mistaken for a Japanese or Korean at international events, which was not her intention. She wanted to use the dragon robe as a Chinese element to emphasise her national pride.

Labeled as a red carpet moocher

201690464 — 2025-10-25 23:37:00 UTC

Due to her many fashion events, Fan Bingbing has been commented by many people that she has no work and only uses styling claptrap. She did not choose to avoid this, but directly responded positively.

Fan as "godmother" of a cruise

201690464 — 2025-10-25 23:41:27 UTC

In 2016, Fan Bingbing was invited to be the godmother of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship "Ovation of the Seas", becoming the first Chinese artiste to receive this honour, which to a certain extent also deepened the world's understanding of Chinese artists.

I don't marry into wealth--i am the wealth

201690464 — 2025-10-26 01:33:38 UTC

Facing the reporter's comments about whether Fan Bingbing wants to find a rich man to marry, Fan Bingbing responded in a domineering manner that she doesn't care whether she marries a rich man or not because she is rich enough on her own and doesn't need to rely on a man.

Career low point: image collapse (2018)

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Tax issues exposed

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A TV Host’s Revelation of Fan‘s “Yin-Yang Contracts”

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Former CCTV host Cui Yongyuan exposed photos of dual contracts on Weibo, alluding to Fan Bingbing's tax evasion through two contracts.

Official Investigation and Government Sanctions

201690464 — 2025-10-26 02:24:21 UTC

The tax department was informed of the situation and immediately intervened in the investigation, and after seeking evidence from many sides finally determined that Fan Bingbing had tax evasion, the state issued an official circular and urged Fan Bingbing and her studio to pay back the penalties totalling 883 million yuan.

Issuing a public apology

201690464 — 2025-10-26 02:28:51 UTC

Officials issued a circular confirming Fan Bingbing's tax evasion on the same day that Fan Bingbing formally issued a long apology on weibo, saying that she admitted her mistake and was willing to accept the punishment.

Public Criticism and Media Backlash

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Criticism from Authoritative Chinese Media

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The Nickname “Fan Ba Yi”

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Due to the fine of more than 800 million, netizens once used the humiliating nickname "Fan Ba Yi" to call Fan Bingbing, using 800 million as the number of the fine to refer to her. The tax evasion incident made her image in the public's mind hit rock bottom.

Industry Blacklisting and Career Suspension

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According to reports, Fan Bingbing has been banned by the official Chinese government for tax evasion and will not be able to participate in film and television activities on the mainland for a long time to come.

Attempted comeback: Peaceful and tenacious (2019-to date)

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Run a personal beauty brand

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The brand's sales have been continuously increasing

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After the blocking incident, Fan Bingbing didn't give up. Without filming opportunities, she turned to continue running her own beauty brand. Through her personal influence and the high quality of the products themselves, her brand Fan Beauty has gone from strength to strength, with her total revenue increasing every step of the way.

Entry into International Cinema

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Fan promotes the brand herself

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As an influential celebrity in her own right, Fan Bingbing often posts promotional content about fan beauty on Xiaohongshu (A Chinese social platform), further increasing the brand's visibility and influence.

Served as a judge at the Berlin Film Festival

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This was a sign of her acceptance by the international film community, and it meant that her comeback gained artistic legitimacy.

Make an appearance on the Oscar red carpet

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After five years without major event exposure, Fan Bingbing made another trip to the Oscars red carpet. Her return was heavily covered by the media at home and abroad. This woman who has experienced setbacks continues to attract a lot of attention and praise in the fashion field.

Green Night (2023)

201690464 — 2025-10-26 04:05:43 UTC

This is her first film to officially appear in the main competition of three major international film festivals since the 2018 tax scandal, and she made her official Berlin red carpet debut as an actress.

The attitude of the public

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Unpaid Collaboration with Photographers

201690464 — 2025-10-26 04:19:42 UTC

In 2025, Fan Bingbing attracted a lot of attention for her free collaboration with many online photographers. These photographers who worked with her have been posting their photography in Xiaohongshu, with a single post reaping over 100,000 plus likes. As an extremely well-known and influential celebrity, Fan Bingbing's attitude has been recognised by many viewers.

Personal life

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Official announcement of her relationship

201690464 — 2025-10-26 19:25:54 UTC

In 2015, Fan Bingbing and Li Chen made a high-profile announcement of their romance on Weibo, which quickly hit the hot search and sparked widespread discussion.

Female images in Chinese films: passivity, seduction, and resistance through the male gaze (Shi, Deenerwan and Raja Hadayadanin, 2025, pp. 7-8)

201690464 — 2025-10-27 01:36:37 UTC

This article focuses on the image of women in Chinese cinema under the male narrative structure. The article broadly classifies Chinese female characters into three categories, among which the "passive-submissive" is the earliest and most common female image paradigm, which usually lacks autonomy, obeys patriarchal authority, and symbolises female values with so-called virtues. Most of Fan Bingbing's early screen images belonged to this category.

Why do the public image and early marketing both seem a bit contradictory to her personality?

201690464 — 2025-10-27 02:04:46 UTC

At that time, China's film and television market was still dominated by the traditional gender perspective, favouring the image of virtuous and docile women, and this passive and submissive type was a reflection of social aesthetics and industrial logic.

Personality Transformation After Falling in Love

201690464 — 2025-10-28 01:19:32 UTC

In the 2016 interview with Fan Bingbing mentioned in this news article, she responded to public comments that her character had become gentle as water after falling in love, and thought that this might be the public's fixed thinking, in fact, she did not change her character and handling because of falling in love, and she still adheres to her own way of life and is satisfied with the current state of life.

Won international best actress awards

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Buddha Mountain (2010)

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In the minds of many viewers, Buddha Mountain (2010) is one of Fan Bingbing's most artistically accomplished films. In this film, she performed a brand new role with a plain face, and through this, she won an award with international influence.

I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016)

201690464 — 2025-10-28 02:11:47 UTC

In I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016), Fan Bingbing abandons her previous glamour and glitz to play an ordinary rural woman wronged by her husband and neglected by society. She won the Golden Horse Award for this film, and Best Actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Fan Bingbing’s Response to Controversy

201690464 — 2025-10-28 02:15:15 UTC

After winning the film, many viewers and even the media questioned Fan Bingbing's empty beauty but no acting skills, to which Fan Bingbing responded dominantly, she said that the affirmation of the actress's beauty is also very important, and after that she will rely on the works to break the questioning of the acting skills.

Respond humorously to negative comments

201690464 — 2025-10-28 03:27:03 UTC

Fan Bingbing called herself a carpet star (i.e. people previously mocked her for only knowing how to walk the red carpet but not having great film and TV work) in a self-deprecating way to show that she doesn't care about it internally, and that external comments won't knock her down. The post also tagged her own beauty brand, once again promoting the brand with her own influence.

‘Mingren are the respectable ones’: an analysis of everyday engagements with contemporary celebrity culture in China' (Xu, Reijnders and Kim, 2019)

201690464 — 2025-10-28 21:36:25 UTC

The article points out that Chinese audiences generally believe that celebrities must be socially and professionally responsible, and that celebrities who break the law or violate morals are seen as not worthy of the name. This explains the strong moral backlash following the Fan Bingbing incident and the collective sentiment behind epithets such as "Fan Ba Yi".

It is imperative and obtainable: the construction of confidence culture by female toubu vloggers on Xiaohongshu (Xu and Zheng, 2025)

201690464 — 2025-10-28 23:20:34 UTC

The article points out that the culture of self-confidence is a trend pursued by Chinese female celebrities on social media platforms in the past two years, which is closely related to Chinese women's increasing awareness of their rights. Under such a trend, Fan Bingbing's calmness and unconcern about bad comments are well catered to the approval of female audience.

The promotion and presentation of the self: celebrity as marker of presentational media (Marshall, 2010)

201690464 — 2025-10-28 23:52:03 UTC

Marshall (2010) suggests that social media expands the parasocial connection between celebrity and audience. Through this collaboration with the photographer, Fan Bingbing has reconstructed a close and relatable image, thereby alleviating the sense of distance after being banned.

Interaction with fans

201690464 — 2025-10-29 00:11:35 UTC

Fans expressed their support for Fan Bingbing, which moved her to tears.

Fan's interview

201690464 — 2025-10-29 01:34:08 UTC

Fan Bingbing was interviewed at the Berlin Film Festival and said outright that the time she spent without acting was painful. She also revealed that readjusting to come out of the doldrums was a difficult task, but she still loves acting and has learnt a lot in the process.