Update: This speech has been included in the English Public Speaking textbook published by Fudan University Press!

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming here today for my birthday. I'd like to share a few words before we continue with the festivities. As someone who identifies as a public speaker, how could I miss this opportunity to make a toast to everyone.

21 years ago, I was born in the suburb of a small city in China. From the window of my home, I can see the mountains. I know this might sound poetic to you, but to me, living in the rural area more often means isolation and limitation. So at the age of 11, I went to the provincial capital for my middle school. Since then, I embarked on a journey of exploring a bigger world, on my own. After 6 years in the provincial capital, I went to Shanghai for my university, where I see an even broader part of this amazing world. Four years later, I decided to come to Hong Kong for exchange. So it's been a long journey for me to come to this moment, and destiny has brought me to meet you all. And I feel very lucky.

But I'm not here just to talk about myself, I'm here to talk about us. All of us are brave explorers who decided to dive into a completely new city and were ready to embrace something entirely unfamiliar or even strange. So cheers to all of us for coming this far and doing an incredible job! And because we are all strangers to this city, the bond we have is particularly strong and precious. So I want to say, it's a huge pleasure knowing you all and it might be the most precious thing during my exchange. What I like most about us, is that we are so different in whatever ways. We come from different countries, have different skin colors, speak different languages, and lead different lives. And growing up seeing a bigger world little by little, I have come to realize how important it is to always meet new people to reimagine what's possible in our own lives. I'm always amazed, by how each of you has lived such a wonderful life, and I'm constantly inspired by it. So thank you, for being so diverse, kind, energetic, and generous.

Sometimes I wonder, since we are so different, can we really understand and sympathize with each other? Admit it or not, we are living in a more and more divided world, with a history of countless conflicts and a current climate of distrust, opposition and hostility among our countries. Do we really have more in common than that which divides us? This question had bothered me for a while, because I'm the kind of person who believes in the Olympics, in the United Nations, and in a world where people are kind to each other despite all our differences. But I feel deeply grateful, that during my interactions with all of you, I have a stronger and stronger belief that we do share something that transcends all our differences, our skin colors, languages, nationalities, ideologies, and life experiences. It is the kindness and love that we share with each other.

I know that in a few weeks, or even a few days, we'll go on our separate ways, not knowing when we'll see each other again. But that's okay. I really like the line from the movie Nomadland, which goes, One of the things I love most about this life is that there's no final goodbye. I've met hundreds of people out here and I don't ever say a final goodbye. I always just say, "I'll see you down the road." And I do, I see them again, and I can be certain in my heart, I will see you again.

So, tonight, I stand before you with only one agenda, to let you know my heart is yours and will always be, wherever we are. And tonight, don't just celebrate for me, but also for you, for kindness, for love, for all of us. Thank you, enjoy!