Long considered a "hellion" by the communist authorities, the star of "Farewell, My Concubine" continues, in the eyes of her compatriots, to incarnate modernity. But, for the entire world, Gong Li remains the most friendly and prestigious ambassador who allows us to dip into the dreams of China. Never has an actress merited more the title of "Artist of Peace" that UNESCO has assigned her and that she is getting ready to solemnly receive in Paris, in the setting of the "Week of Chinese Culture" that takes place in France through the 12th of September. Attentive to the evolution of her county, she also takes very seriously her responsibility as a member of the Congress of the People. At the present time in Hong Kong, she will attend, on the 1st of October, the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Chinese revolution. She possesses a spirit of tolerance... a generous and passionate advocate.

Hong Kong lost its British rule and won Gong Li. The city found in the Chinese star its most seductive element. And it is with conviction that the actress defends her official role, a spokesperson to explain that the city has stayed an enclave of capitalism and that liberty there is sacred. This northern Chinese woman grew up with the dogma of Mao, but today she burns incense sticks in Buddhist temples. The face of L'Oreal, she wears European designer clothing, but relies on traditional medicine. She wears gems by a famous jeweler [to events], but she can't be without her Han amulets. She dreamt of Hong Kong like she would dream of America, but views Beijing with the assurance of a voyager who returns home. Born during the cultural revolution, luxury is her conquest. An incarnation of universal beauty, she asserts herself like a Chinese woman of tomorrow.

Paris Match: Do you remember your first visit to Hong Kong?

Gong Li: It was in 1988 for the premiere of a film. I didn't understand the people here speaking Cantonese. I thought, it's terrible, we are all Chinese and I am like a foreigner among my own people. My first impressions were visual: the modern architecture, prosperity so strongly displayed. In the street, I turned around to admire all the pretty cars.

PM: In Asia, people feared in 1996 that the Chinese would modify the capitalism of Hong Kong. Did the city change when it officially became communist Chinese?

GL: Here, nothing has changed. It's simply easier for a Chinese person to come to Hong Kong; a mere tourist visa is sufficient. In addition, there are a lot of facilities in order to make things work. For me, Hong Kong has always been a mysterious and fascinating place. As an teenager, I came one day to Shenzhen, a city that is on the coast of China. I dreamed about jumping over the top of the enormous dam of barbed wire simply in order to see this magical city. Now, I spend a third of my time here.

PM: Hong Kong has become an El Dorado peopled with new millionaires, but I have the impression that the ordinary citizens put up with a terrible pressure. Why?

GL: Here, everything is very expensive. People struggle for their rent, for education for their children, for their health care. During a dinner with friends, people don't often talk about business, but how to earn more money is a problem for everyone, whether one is a big business man or a modest employee. This mentality has now arrived in Western China because, little by little, people are able to buy their own home. Before, the government furnished everything. People weren't as obsessed with money. 

PM: But what is freedom for if one becomes a slave to money?

GL: [She laughs] Life is short. I don't spend my time running around after money. I know people here who earn a lot and can't stop. Me? I shoot a few films and I choose with care my films and my directors. I love more than anything to have time to live, to avoid pressure.

PM: Today, is there the same freedom in Beijing as there is in Hong Kong?

GL: I feel very comfortable in Beijing. There are more artists there than here; I can have discussions with them more easily. In Hong Kong, I have little social life on account of the language problems. Of course, freedom has ruled here for a long time. One can say that in Beijing there are still too many administrative and governmental controls.

PM: Hong Kong is a place with legends of pirates, of rival triads, of opium traffic and girls [for hire]. Is it still like that?

GL: [She bursts out laughing] I won't surprise you if I confide in you that I don't frequent that world and I don't know if it still exists. My bodyguards are my friends with whom I drink tea on the peninsula or shop in the city. Hong Kong is an extremely safe city where I walk around freely.

PM: We come back to the problem of communication. You are a famous star around the world who speaks only Mandarin. Do you have problems with other languages?

GL: [She laughs] I come from a town in the north of the country where most people speak Mandarin. There are a multitude of dialects in China. I happen to speak six, from the North, and in certain films I have willingly adopted an accent of a region other than my own. I have that talent. But you can believe that my talent [for accents] is limited by Chinese language vocal tones. I don't know the tones of the South. I don't understand the dialects of Canton, or of Shanghai or of Sichuan, and I haven't made any effort to learn them.

PM: Do you ever think to one day make an effort to learn English, French or another language that's not Chinese?

GL: I have started to take English courses with a professor, but I don't like this method of training, as it isn't natural. My wish is to instead spend two or three months in England in order to learn the language while immersing myself in the culture of the country.

PM: Isn't it frustrating to always have to use an interpreter, to never directly catch what the person says who doesn't speak Mandarin?

GL: [She laughs] I understand quite a lot of English words and, especially, I feel good when people speak directly to me. It absolutely does not make me feel uncomfortable to have to resort to an interpreter because I count them among my friends. They know me well, and I trust them. Also, it's nice to observe the situation while my interviewer speaks with my interpreter. This gives me the time to reflect on my responses.

PM: We have visited the bird market. I have discovered that in Hong Kong people walk with a caged bird, like in France people walk with a dog on a leash. Is this usual in China?

GL: Before, it was only a privilege of the upper class families. Today, one especially sees older people who promenade with them in the morning and evening in gardens and parks. There are very particular rules: the cage is always covered with a black cloth. When the fabric is removed, the bird sings; as soon as the person thinks that the bird is tired, he replaces the cloth. Of course, one can consider that to be cruel, but for the elderly Chinese, it's truly cultural, an art form. It's very touching. If I traveled less often, I would love to have a talking bird, like a parrot.

PM: You have used the word "cruel". The Chinese have a reputation to be so with animals. What do you think of this reputation?

GL: I am revolted by certain traditions. For me, to eat a snake, a monkey, a dog or a cat is an unimaginable act. Some people continue to kill off the species in order to satisfy unacceptable culinary traditions. I am united with the movements for the respect of animals and the protection of rare species.

PM: Traditional medicine is, on the other hand, one part of Chinese heritage that is very respectable…

GL: I have never seen anything similar in the rest of the world. Here it is possible to enter a shop without an appointment and consult with a medical specialist who, by speaking with you and taking your pulse, gives you a prescription. Thirty minutes later, you leave with a complex herbal mixture measured out exactly for your needs. This medicine isn't only for illnesses, is not just to cure, it is often used for a long time in order to prevent illness and protect. I love to go to these boutiques. Today, thanks to you [during the photo shoot], I have discovered a concoction that is ideal for kidney problems. In order to recuperate after filming or in order to increase my energy after finishing a film, I take a blend of ginseng. People often ask me how I protect my beauty and my health. I always tell them that my preferred traditional medicine is sleep. I always try to sleep eight hours when I'm working, and ten when I'm not filming.

PM: Hong Kong is a sublime city of the night, and the Chinese seem to like night life. Are you a night owl?

GL: Yes. When I'm not working, I get up between noon and one o'clock and I am full of energy from eight o'clock on. For me, life starts then, and I go until two or four o'clock in the morning. 

PM: How do you plan your meals when you take your breakfast at noon or at two o'clock?

GL: I take only one main meal per day, in the evening. Dinner is the most important for me. When I'm working, a cook makes the meals. But when I have the time, I make a quick meal for friends. My specialty is noodles; I know dozens of recipes that my husband adores. For a real dinner, I prepare a typical Chinese meal with six, seven or eight dishes. I love to dine all night.

PM: What do you drink?

GL: During the day, I drink tea, but France is honored at dinnertime. I adore champagne and red wine, and my husband and my friends appreciate a French cognac: Remy Martin XO Special.

PM: There is a tradition of machismo in China. Considering the life that you lead, I imagine that your husband doesn't belong to this tradition.

GL: If my husband works hard, I don't see that it's inconvenient to do everything so that the house is in good order when he comes home. On the other hand, I don't support the men who stick their noses into household affairs when their wives are devoted to it. I'm lucky and happy to have a very modern husband, a tender man with whom I share the same taste for a simple life. And, if you want to know everything, my husband isn't 'macho' at all.

PM: At the Temple of the Goddess of the Sea [Taoist Tin Hau Temple] in the Chinese district [during the photo shoot], you prayed and respected the rituals. Did you receive a religious education during your childhood in communist China?

GL: There was no strict religious education when I was a child. The first time that my parents made a pilgrimage, I was an adolescent. We went to a place called the Mountain of the Thousand Buddhas. But I believe that the name of God doesn't matter; I like the idea of a God who protects and provides beneficial results in life. When I find myself in a temple, I am very sincere, I pray in my own way, asking the gods to protect my family, my friends, and wishing peace for all those around me.

PM: Religion was banned for a long time in China. Does the right [to practice religion] exist today?

GL: Yes, today the rites and ceremonies are permitted. After the cultural revolution, religious freedom was restored. And, since this period, the government has given a lot of money in order to reconstruct the temples destroyed by the Red Guards.

PM: According to you, is it crucial for the people to have the right to respect the ancient rites and religions?

GL: It's very important for the people to have freedom of belief. In China, there are so many different beliefs that it's normal that they express themselves powerfully. For me, originally an ethnic Han, for example, the Buddha's birthday is an essential date. On this day, the temples become a big meeting place for a popular celebration.

PM: What do you ask God for when you pray?

GL: [She laughs] It's not useful to be too demanding. There is a saying for people who pray: "don't ask for too much; make vows, express your wishes, but never demand". One day, I went to a famous large lake in Hangzhou, a big place of pilgrimage. My wish was granted. And like the tradition dictates, I go back there each year to thank the divinities of the place.

PM: The Dalai Lama has specified that he no longer requires independence for Tibet, but a simple cultural and spiritual autonomy. What do you think of this position?

GL: I'm distrustful of those who want to provoke a war. If the Dalai Lama only asks for spiritual autonomy, I am in agreement. It is reasonable and normal that the Tibetans have a right to their cultural traditions, their religious freedom.

PM: Where will you be on October 1, 1999?

GL: I will be at Tiananmen Square in Peking, invited as a member of the People's Congress in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Chinese revolution. I hope that my husband can accompany me.

PM: In Paris, this week, UNESCO will officially appoint you "Artist For Peace". How do you feel about this nomination?

GL: I am very honored and proud to accept. UNESCO has a very important mission for education, culture and the sciences, and a country like China needs to develop in all of those sectors. For example, our education system is very imperfect. There are prosperous villages where there are very modern schools, of a very high level, to accommodate the children of families able to pay for their schooling; and then there are the small cities where there are not enough teachers or not enough infrastructure in order to accommodate poor children. I want to help China win this struggle, to give all the children the same chance to be educated. I want to mobilize efforts for poor people and the forgotten. And, I want to make it possible to carry the message of peace, which we need so much, around the entire world.