Ribbons plans book on Helen Snow after playing her in TV series

She says that people should do yoga to connect to their own bodies before learning to make better food and lifestyle choices.

She is planning to open a yoga studio in Shanghai. The studio, which will likely open by the end of May, will offer classes for people of all ages.

"We will have medical professionals from Western and Eastern cultures available for consultation. Things will be tailor-made for each member," she says.

Another project she is working on is a charity initiative called "Geili Giving", which raises money to alleviate poverty in rural areas of China. Ribbons says she is still sourcing for investment to build the infrastructure required for the project. She adds that a mobile app to engage people and encourage philanthropy will also be developed.

Ribbons is also working on a book about female journalist Helen Snow who she became intrigued by after playing her in the television series Red Star Over China. The series is based on a book of the same title by Edgar Snow, Helen's husband, who was the first Western journalist to give a full account of the history of the Communist Party of China following the Long March.

"Helen Snow was the real power behind the couple. She wrote at least one, or more chapters of Red Star Over China and she was the one who got the photos out. She was the editor of the book as well," says Ribbons.

"I felt it was imperative that I write her story because she is so freaking amazing."