Chinese actress Vicki Zhao finds peace in Buddhism

Chinese actress Vicki Zhao. Photo from Zhao's Weibo

According to On, Zhao, who has been focusing on Buddhist texts, shared a rare personal post on May 21 on her social media. The post featured a quote from Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa: "Courage is not about saying ‘I’m not afraid,’ but about accepting your own vulnerability."

The actress expressed how the book helped her confront her own fears and insecurities, teaching her to face weakness and fragility within rather than run from them.

Zhao has also been practicing mantras and regularly shares updates about her spiritual journey on her social media. Earlier this month, she posted a quote from Khenpo Sodargye, another Buddhist teacher: "A skilled doctor can turn plants into healing medicine, just as a good practitioner can transform everything into a motivation for spiritual practice."

Last year, Zhao made a pilgrimage to Tibet, where she was spotted exploring Buddhist statues, paintings, and artwork.

Despite her public presence, Zhao has kept her private life under wraps. Fans continue to express their hope for her return to the entertainment industry under her Weibo posts, but Zhao has not responded to such calls.

Her most recent public appearance was at a fashion event for Fendi in July 2021, where she had been serving as the brand’s spokesperson in China. However, in August 2021, all films starring Zhao were removed from video platforms, and her name was erased from film award portals. Associated brands also deleted or hid posts about her on Weibo. These actions led to speculation that Zhao had been "banned," though no official reasons have been given for the ban.

Baidu suggests that such bans are a common practice in China’s entertainment and sports industries, particularly when individuals violate moral or legal codes. Social media platforms also remove any content associated with these figures. Other celebrities, including singer Kris Wu, actress Zheng Shuang, and singer Zhang Zhehan, have faced similar bans in recent years.

At 49, Zhao was once considered one of China’s "Four Dan Actresses," a term referring to the four most financially successful actresses in the country. She is among a select group of female Chinese artists who have made notable achievements in film, television, and music, as noted by Xinhua.

Zhao also ventured into business in 1999, establishing multi-industry companies. Along with her ex-husband, Singaporean businessman Huang Youlong, whom she married in 2008, she amassed an estimated fortune of 4.5 billion yuan (US$625 million) by 2019, ranking 912th on the Hurun China Rich List.

At the end of last year, Zhao publicly announced that she and Huang had divorced "many years ago."