[Cultural department] understand nothing but bureaucratic daily affairs. They don't care about culture.

The Internet changes the structure of society all the time — this massiveness made of individuals.

Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country.

If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.

To survive, China had to open up to the West. It could not survive otherwise. This was after many millions have died of hunger in a country that was like North Korea is today. Once we became part of global competition, we had to agree to some rules. It's painful, but we had to. Otherwise there was no way to survive.

New York has given me a lot, but I still don't consider it home.

If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?