The poll made by The Beijing News saw famous superstar Zhang Ziyi failing to make it to the top three, ranking in fourth in the listing after Gong Li, Li Yuchun and Zhou Xun.

Other stars included on the list are Taiwan youth idols Mike He and Rainie Yang, pop singer Jay Chou, Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung and actors Andy Lau and Chow Yun-Fat.

Gong Li grew up in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. She was accepted to the Beijing Central College of Drama in 1985 and graduated in 1989.

She was still a student there when Zhang Yimou chose her in 1987 for the lead role in his first film as a director, Red Sorghum, which was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

Gong Li has since become one of the most successful actresses in Chinese cinema, with fame that has extended abroad to many areas. Her work has been recognized with awards from the Venice International Film Festival and New York Critics Film Circle, and she retains a strong popularity.

She starred in Zhang Yimou's films well into the mid-1990s. During their long collaboration, the two created a scandal for being long-term lovers, despite Zhang's marital status. The duo eventually broke up in 1995, and Gong Li married Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng the next year.

Gong Li's limited Hollywood appearances include 1997's Chinese Box and 2005's Memoirs of a Geisha.