Peacock of Winter, choreographer-dancer Yang Liping's latest production, is the artist's reflection on life.

Peacock has come to define Yang since she won national recognition for Spirit of Peacock, a work she both choreographed and performed in 1986.

"Peacock is a symbol for good luck, happiness and beauty. I have displayed its vitality, elegance and nobility in my work. In Peacock of Winter, I try to show the decay and rebirth of a peacock. It's about looking back, meditating and finally setting yourself free," says Yang.

Growing up in the mountainous areas of the Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, Yang, the eldest child in her family, learned to take care of the family from a young age and helped her parents with farming and herding animals.

Though she never had professional dance training, Yang joined the Yunnan Xishuangbanna Song and Dance Troupe in 1979.

The next year, then 22, she joined the Beijing-based China Central Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble. In 2003, she left the ensemble and started out as an independent artist.

"Though I have lived in a big city for many years, I am always longing for an idyllic life," says Yang, who maintains a garden in her house. "I care about the changes in each plant in my garden."

According to Wang Yanwu, Yang's longtime partner and the producer of the new work, who also manages her company, Yang Liping Arts and Culture Co Ltd, Peacock of Winter toured 12 cities across China from November to January.