A regal presence

As the quintessential 'woman in cheongsam', television royalty Chen Shu wants to be known for her versatility, writes Raymond Zhou.

Chen Shu is hailed by many in China as "the most beautiful woman in cheongsam". Over the past decade, she has been associated with roles in television hits that required her to wear the Mandarin gown popularized in early 20th-century Shanghai.

Chen, 39, could well rest on her laurels of period drama set in that recent past, where her beauty and elegance are guaranteed to impress, but her versatility easily transcends that retro style.