"In Beijing I feel that with anyone I am in touch with, whether they know who I am or not, they are genuine and not judging me on how I look.

"I don't always want to be alert and on my guard."

The Hong Kong-born star moved to England, when she was 8, and finishing high school in Kent. Being the only Chinese student at school she felt alienated from the other kids. She often changed her appearance, her hairstyles and clothes in a bid to be accepted. She returned to Hong Kong in the early 1980s but once again found it hard to fit in, because she couldn't speak her native language. Instead, she let her attractive looks do the talking.

After finishing runner-up at the Miss Hong Kong Pageant in 1983, she starred in the popular comedy Police Story (1984) with Jackie Chan.

In 1988 she landed a role in As Tears Go By, directed by Wong Kar-wai, a man who would be key to her career. Success quickly followed, and so did the awards - the best actress accolades in Berlin and Cannes plus five Golden Horse Awards. Such praise, however, was not enough to keep Cheung on the silver screen.

After completing Clean in 2004 she drifted away from cinema. Today she admits to "letting it be."

"I'm not looking to do another film," she says.

"The only thing that could draw me back to a three-month shooting schedule is something very special and worthwhile. I want to go for something that I love 100 percent. What I need is quality of work, not the quantity."

Although she now resides in Beijing, she still travels to Hong Kong, England and Paris, for promotional work and meeting friends.

Cheung is the new face to Piaget, a luxury watch and jewelry maker. Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier in Paris, the campaign was recently unveiled at a press conference in Beijing.

"Wow," she exclaims looking at the photos. "This is great! It's a big bonus that I am a fashion icon. I enjoyed the two-day shooting process in Paris, which was like a treasure hunt game. I was like a little girl immersed in beautiful clothes and accessories."