Zhang shed her gentle and quiet image to play the rebellious and gusty protagonist in Huayao Bride in Shangri-la (2005), and won the Beijing College Student Film Festival for Best Actress. She was named one of "Asia's Heroes" by Time magazine.
In 2006, Zhang was cast as the tough-talking heroine in the Finnish-Chinese kungfu movie Jade Warrior, directed by A. J. Annila. The same year, she starred in romantic drama The Road directed by Lu Chuan. Zhang won over the audience with the maturity she shows in her acting, and her extraordinary ability to touch hearts by interpreting the different stages of a Chinese woman's life. She won the Best Actress award at the 30th Cairo International Film Festival.
Zhang then starred in Derek Yee's smug drugging film Protégé (2007). Her portrayal of woman who is forced to struggle between drug addiction and herself won praises from both the audience and critics. The same year, she made her Hollywood film debut in Rush Hour 3 alongside Jackie Chan.
Zhang next starred in Feng Xiaogang's disaster film Aftershock (2010), playing a girl who separates from her mother after the Tangshan earthquake and becomes a rescue worker. Zhang also takes part in earthquake relief efforts in real life. She is the ambassador of the charity SiyuanAOC Rainbow Plan, founded by China Siyuan Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and AOC Monitor.
Zhang then took a six-month break from the entertainment industry, stating that she was disappointed by the commercial nature of her recent roles. During this time, she served as a jury member at the Shanghai International Film Festival. She returned to the screen in the romantic comedy Laucana (2012) co-starring Shawn Yue.
Zhang next featured in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) alongside Tom Cruise. The same year, she was cast in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel, The Three-Body Problem.
In 2017, Zhang was cast in the thriller film Once Upon a Time in Northeast China; as well as crime action film Wings Over Everest.
