Hu (center) with actress Wang Danfeng and Wang's husband, Liu Heqing, in 1985. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hu is often compared with her peer Ruan who often played modern women in movies.

But Ruan was quite conventional in real life, says Li. And she surrendered to patriarchal supremacy. She felt helpless and committed suicide.

"While Hu largely portrayed traditional roles, she was in fact a woman who made decisions on her own.

"She was mentally independent before she gained financial independence."

Li says that after she turned 40, Hu often received comments that she was no longer young and beautiful and had lost her luster on the big screen. "But she was indifferent to the sarcasm, saying, 'Whether it is in life or on stage, one can't always play the leading role'," Li adds.

If you go

10:30 am-5:30 pm, closed on Mondays, through Sept 23. Caochangdi, Cuigezhuang, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5127-3173.