Li Yuchun's decade of breakthroughs

Li Yuchun performs with 300 dancers at a New Year's Eve gala aired by Jiangsu Satellite TV Station on Dec 31, 2016. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It has been more than a decade since Li, a once unknown 21-year-old music student from Sichuan province, appeared on and won the televised singing competition Super Girl in 2005. The TV show attracted a nationwide audience of 400 million and fans voted for the young singer with a neutral style and deep, soulful voice. Her powerful individuality made her a phenomenon in the country.

Over the past decade, Li has released eight studio albums and more than 50 chart-topping singles. Her annual, sold-out Why Me concert has been supported by her loyal fans, known as Yu Mi, literally translated as "corns", a play on words for Yu's fans.

"I was unprepared when my career took off. The songs I performed were chosen by my record company. I was just a performer," Li says of her past 10 years.

It was not until 2009 that she started writing songs and realized what kind of music she liked.

"From then on, I was no longer a performer. I am a singer delivering messages through my music."

That's not to say Li is limited to music; she has also expanded her brand into movies and fashion. In recent years, she has starred in big-budget movies, such as Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, which also features Jet Li and Zhou Xun.