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

The freedom of speech is an important yardstick for a society's level of civilization.

Once I was in New York, I completely had no interest for a long time in what happened in China because I had been through so much. Seeing my father's life struggle and so many whole generations lose their potential or possibility in their lives. Just being pushed into this political struggle and the damage done not only to their lives but their relatives.

Twitter is the people’s tool, the tool of the ordinary people, people who have no other resources.

To work in architecture you are so much involved with society, with politics, with bureaucrats. It's a very complicated process to do large projects. You start to see the society, how it functions, how it works. Then you have a lot of criticism about how it works.

Self-censorship is insulting to the self. Timidity is a hopeless way forward.

So-called Chinese art and culture is under control of the Party. They exist to serve the official agenda. I call it fake art and culture.