The path proved harder than imagined. While her peers played freely, she endured years of predawn training including leg splits, back-bends, and strict diets to maintain a performer's physique.

　　She joined the Chongqing Peking Opera troupe in 1993.

　　“Zhou was gifted — bright, composed, and perceptive,“ comments Sun Zhifang, a veteran performer of the company.

　　“Her edge was her grit. She trained relentlessly and refused to quit.“

　　Zhou attributes this tenacity to her formative years: “The opera's rigor instilled endurance in my bones.“

　　Her dedication led to her admission into the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts' elite graduate program in 2004. Soon, she starred in classics like Yang Silang Visiting His Mother and The Mirror of Fortune (Qiankun Fushou Jing).

　　“In Peking Opera, every gesture, every glance, conveys the world's exquisite beauty,“ she reflects.

　　“When you pursue such perfection, you never grow weary or lonely. Even without applause from others, the art itself brings joy.“

　　Her passion remains undimmed: “To this day, stepping onstage electrifies me.“

　　Zhou is a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where she is dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese opera education.

　　Meanwhile, the Chongqing Peking Opera company has been actively staging Peking Opera productions.

　　In 2019, it successfully reconstructed the long-lost classic Qin Liangyu, which premiered in the 1920s by legendary dan (female character) master Shang Xiaoyun.

　　In late 2023, the company collaborated with the Chengdu Peking Opera Research Institute to create a new production titled Xue Tao based on the life of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) female poet of the same name.