Like her fearless female warrior character Mu Guiying in the new martial arts flick Legendary Amazons, Cecilia Cheung is not one to back down in the face of adversity.

Of late, the 31-year-old Hong Kong actress has engaged in several personal battles - from being embroiled in Edison Chen's infamous sex photo scandal in 2008 to her recent divorce from actor Nicholas Tse.

But the feisty mother of two boys - Lucas, four, and Quintus, two - is soldiering on.

Indeed, back in showbiz after a five-year break, she is re-energised, more than ever before.

Legendary Amazons, which is showing in cinemas here, marks Cheung's third big-screen outing this year.

There is also a heightened self-awareness.

"So many things have happened to me in the last few years," she admitted in an e-mail interview with The New Paper.

"When it comes to relationships, I've learnt from my mistakes and I'm confident that I'll be able to handle them better in the future."

Cheung called it quits with Tse, 31, in June after a high-profile five-year marriage.

Their acrimonious split was thrown into the limelight partly because of Cheung's scandal-ridden past and reputation as a wild child and party girl.

Asked whether she is still open to a romantic relationship, her answer was vague and cryptic, yet positive.

She wrote: "The setbacks I've faced will not change my views on love."

There is no doubt that work and her kids are currently the top priorities in her life.

Cheung was seen earlier this year in the Chinese New Year ensemble rom-com All's Well Ends Well 2011 as well as slapstick comedy Treasure Hunt.

Her upcoming films include the racing-themed Speed Angels (with Tang Wei and Rene Liu) and steamy drama Dangerous Liaisons - a remake of the Hollywood classic - with Zhang Ziyi and Jang Dong Gun.

The hectic pace of the entertainment industry - one she was no doubt familiar with before she went on her sabbatical - has left her relatively unfazed.

"Although I've rested for five years, I made sure I gave it my all the minute I resumed acting," said Cheung.

"I've already done six films so far... now, on average, I put in 10 to 12 hours a day on set. "But I don't feel tired at all. I really love my job and my aim is to play every one of my characters to the best I can."

Even the harsh conditions she experienced during the filming of Legendary Amazons - which co-stars Richie Ren, Kathy Chow and veteran actress Cheng Peipei - failed to dampen her high spirits.

"We shot several scenes of the movie in Ordos, Inner Mongolia," said Cheung.

"It was severely cold there, with temperatures ranging from minus 12 to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

"Other than the weather, it wasn't too difficult a shoot."

She drew several similarities between the courageous Mu Guiying and herself.

"Like her, I'm frank and straightforward, I don't hide my happiness or sadness," she said.

"She is also very bold in expressing her love and hate. I'm like that too."

However, Cheung conceded she couldn't translate her experience as a mum on-screen, even though her character is also a mother.

"My children are still very young, whereas in the film, Mu Guiying's son is already grown-up.

"Their age gap is too wide, I can't possibly communicate with my screen son the way I communicate with my kids!"

Despite her busy schedule, Cheung said she always "makes it a point to carve out time" for her sons.

Last week, while in Beijing to promote Legendary Amazons with Ren, she told Chinese entertainment news portal Sina.com that Lucas and Quintus are her "strongest mental pillars".

"The main reason I can devote my time to work is not because I crave fame, but because my sons are now mature and very well-behaved," she was quoted as saying.

"I've had my share of follies when I was younger and been through so many ups and downs... I hope to be an example to them and let them know that the best person to lean on in life is actually oneself.

"Learning to pick yourself up after a fall is more important."

Taiwanese actor-singer Ren, 45, had words of praise for Cheung in an interview with Chinese magazine Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly earlier this week.

"Not everyone can survive the storms Cecilia has been through. Ordinary folks would not have experienced as much as she did in their whole lifetime," he said.

"Cecilia has shown her tenacity, she's very strong and very real as a person."

Cheung also displayed defiance in the face of Hong Kong's aggressive and invasive paparazzi culture.

After the spate of scandals that have hit her, has she become more careful when it comes to posting personal information and pictures online?

"There is no use worrying (about that)," was her nonchalant reply to The New Paper.

"Technology is too advanced now, there are so many (online) platforms such as Facebook and Weibo."

Cheung uses neither microblog, but her fans have set up a page for her on Facebook.

"Even if I don't post stuff myself, there will be people uploading all sorts of material about me."

This article was first published in The New Paper.