[1] Chen has great success in the East Asian entertainment industry with nearly 20 million record sales of 38 albums.

[4] In 1994, while still a student at Parsons, Chen made two commercials, one for Shanghai Beer and one for the Bank of Hong Kong.

[5] She was introduced to an acquaintance who owned a production studio and was chosen to feature in a Jacky Cheung music video.

In 1996, Chen released her first Mandarin language album, I Don't Think So (我不以為), in, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, which sold over 150,000.

In 1997, Chen performed her first ever concert, Starry Dream of Love (星夢情真), and released the partner CD in June, which sold over 100,000 copies in Hong Kong.

In 1998, Chen embarked the Kelly Starry Dream of Love World Tour (陳慧琳星夢情真世界巡迴演唱會), starting in Australia.

She released her Mandarin album, Love Me Or Not (愛我不愛), the hit single of which, "Diary" (記事本), is well-known all over Asia and became her signature song so far.

She also won "The most popular female artist" in 1999 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.

In 2001, Chen released her remix album Kelly BPM Dance Collection in March, which sold over 150,000 copies.

Chen went to North America, where she performed concerts in Chicago, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Toronto all as a part of her world tour in May.

Chen's movie Calmi Cuori Appassionati (冷靜與熱情之間), released in November 2001, grossed more than 30 billion yen (HKD$220,000,000) in Japan.

The film broke the pre-sale ticket record in Japan and was ranked as the 67th best-selling movie in Japanese box office history.

Chen won "Asian Pacific Most Popular Hong Kong Female Artist" at the 2001 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.

She held a show called "Kelly Dynacarnival World Tour" (陳慧琳飛天舞會世界巡迴演唱會) in Sydney and Melbourne in September.

She held her "Kelly Dynacarnival World Tour" in San Francisco, Atlantic City and Toronto in April 2003.

She was also voted "CCTV Most Popular Female Singer " (第七屆中央電視台音樂電視大賽港澳臺及海外華語歌壇最受歡迎女歌手) by forty-five million Chinese people in 2004.In 2005, her song "Hope" (希望) from the Korean TV series Dae Jang Geum (大長今) was popular in Hong Kong and mainland China.

"Hope" was the top song of charts for 20 radio stations in China and had even set a high record for ringtone downloads.

"Lost in Paradise" lasted three hours and contained 35 songs from Chen's lengthy ten-year music career.

[11] Since 1998, Chen has been involved in charitable activities and has served as an ambassador for causes including environmental protection, education, and children.

[13] That same year, she was invited to represent Hong Kong to attend the ABU Prizes – Presentation & Special Concert in the NHK Hall in Tokyo.

In 2001, Chen added another title to her growing list as the Volunteer Ambassador 2001 as appointed by the Social Welfare Department.

As an ambassador of the Hong Kong Red Cross, Chen promoted the donation of blood banks.

She was appointed as the "Pass-it-On" Ambassador by the Hong Kong Red Cross and attend its Christmas campaign to visit the John.

Chen's charitable work continued into 2004 as she was appointed as the star representative to attend the "5th HK Outstanding Teenagers" election press conference held by Hong Kong Playground Association and RTHK.

After completing her movie, An Empress and the Warriors with Leon Lai, Chen headed a concert, called "Love Fighters", at the HK Coliseum in June 2008.

[17] In a survey conducted in 2002 by the City University of Hong Kong, Chen was voted "The Most Popular Idol" by local youth groups.

[12][18] In 1997, Shiseido hired Chen to appear in their commercials; she was "depicted as [a] modern Asian [beauty], not quite identical yet not totally different from Japanese women.