There was a time when Lunar New Year celebrations on the mainland would not have been complete without the patriotic warbling of folk singer Dong Wenhua.
Year after year, she was a staple of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala Performance, singing well-known hits such as Story of Spring, written in praise of Deng Xiaoping. But in 2001, after allegations of a love-affair with China's most-wanted fugitive, Lai Changxing, she was notably absent from the end-of-year extravaganza.
Since then she has remained out of the spotlight - until she made a high-profile comeback this week hosting a star-studded reception at Beijing's lavish China World Hotel to mark the launch of her first album in three years.
The 41-year-old folk diva's new album contains nine new songs, one of which is sung in English and another in Cantonese. The collection marks a departure from her trademark folk style and sees her embrace opera and pop music.
Wednesday's unveiling was attended by singer Song Zuying and many other top mainland actors and actresses. When questioned about the scandal, Sina.com entertainment channel quoted the star of the PLA General Political Department's Song and Dance Troupe as saying: 'As far as I know there is no negative news circulating about me. There's no pressure on me. I have been performing all along and I've done more performances than anyone in the group.'
Rumours had connected Dong with Lai, who is alleged to be the mastermind behind China's biggest smuggling case and is in Canada fighting extradition.