I think by not letting young people be fully informed, how can they have energy and passion and the right picture of the world? I think that's the true crime.

I think optimism is whether you are still exhilarated by life, whether you are curious, whether you still believe there is possibility.

Censorship is saying: "I'm the one who says the last sentence. Whatever you say, the conclusion is mine." But the internet is like a tree that is growing. The people will always have the last word – even if someone has a very weak, quiet voice. Such power will collapse because of a whisper.

China spends a lot of resources and effort on gaining soft power over culture. The hope is that it can be the last lifeline for the Party's survival. Obviously, the idea will fail.

Life is never guaranteed to be safe, so we better use it while we are still in good condition.

To experience poetry is to see over and above reality. It is to discover that which is beyond the physical, to experience another life and another level of feeling. It is to wonder about the world, to understand the nature of people and, most importantly, to be shared with another, old or young, known or unknown.

I think art is a very important weapon to achieve human freedom