When Chinese author Chi Li got her first royalties from the French publisher Actes Sud for her books published in France in 1995, she celebrated by spending the money on her dream luxury - a bottle of Chanel No 5.

Chi's trip to Europe was the first time she had traveled alone and the European winter left a deep impression on her.

She gave lectures at a German university and traveled to Paris by train to sign a contract with Actes Sud, which has since published some 20 of her books.

"I don't remember how much money it was, but it was a pleasant surprise. With the francs in my pocket, I ran to the Chanel store on Champs-Elysees. What was important was not the money, rather it was buying into the legend of romance," she recalls.

Chi is one of the best-known Chinese writers in the West, with her books translated into French, Spanish and English. Renowned French translators like Isabelle Rabut, Angel Pino and Nathalie Alliel have worked with her.

Though she says she is not a good communicator and rarely grants interviews, she is candid and sincere.

As a member of the National People's Congress (NPC), Chi discussed politics with other representatives at the NPC meetings in early March, in Beijing. She said it was a good platform to understand the country's realities and policies and express opinions.

Chi says she is a born writer and at 4 years old was obsessed with Chinese characters - "They were my friends and playthings".

Like many Chinese writers born in the 1950s, Chi's childhood was affected by the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

After her father, a military official, was labeled a rightist, the family moved from Wuhan, Hubei's capital, to a remote village in the province. Words were her greatest comfort.

"My dream of literature has not changed since it germinated in those early days," Chi says.