[1][4] She has said of this period: I was born in a village, but it was the experience of rural life that strengthened my strong will and gave me a firm and tenacious personality.

So I think it is this strong heart, the persistent pursuit of dreams, the perseverance and steadfastness of the profession which you are engaged in, as well as the calmness and stability when facing vanity that makes a hero.

[11] In 2010, she first started to gain recognition from mainland audiences after appearing in The Dream of Red Mansions (2010), based on the novel of the same name by Cao Xueqin.

[14] The drama was a hit domestically, and also overseas in South Korea and Japan, leading to increased recognition for Zhao in the region.

[16][17][18] The same year, Zhao starred in historical romance film Palace: Lock Sinensis, the fourth and final installment of the Gong series by Yu Zheng.

[21][22] Zhao further solidified her popularity with several high rated dramas in 2014, including The Legend of Chasing Fish and Wife's Secret.

[28] Zhao won numerous accolades for her role in The Journey of Flower,[29][30][31] including the Best Actress at the 28th China TV Golden Eagle Award.

[38] She was then cast as the female lead, Bi Yao, in Noble Aspirations, based on the popular novel Zhu Xian written by Xiao Ding.

[47] She then starred in the revolutionary drama film Eternal Wave along with Aaron Kwok, about Communist Party (CPC) undercover agents operating against the Japanese in 1930s Shanghai.

[48][49] Zhao returned to the small screen with historical action drama Princess Agents, playing a slave girl who rises up to become a powerful female general.

[50] Princess Agents was a commercial success both domestically and internationally, and held the record as the most watched Chinese television series at that time.

[52] In 2018, Zhao starred in the fantasy adventure film The Monkey King 3, playing the role of the Women Country's Ruler.