Only with a noble spirit can a person stand upright in the world. It's also true of a school. I sincerely wish that this school of ours would be one with a noble spirit and unique individuality. I've been pondering over the question: What is the basis of our school? And where is our hope?

In my opinion, our school should abide by this motto: Loyalty, Excellence, Creativity, and Harmony. First and foremost, by loyalty, our teachers and students are loyal to our motherland, to our education, and to our career of arts. This is the unshakable root of the ideal and belief among all our teachers and students. Then, by excellence, our teachers and students dare to pursue the best. Only the perseverance to pursue excellence can imbue us with an inexhaustible source of energy. In the process of artistic creation, our endless pursuit is to be neither mediocre nor relaxing. Thirdly, therefore, by creativity, our teachers and students are courageous to create and exploit in the world of arts, which embodies the soul of our great nation and the vitality of our glorious country. Last but not least, by harmony, our teachers and students are united and cordial, cherishing a harmonious co-existence, which is the need of our time and the source of our power. Only by practicing this motto of ours shall we muster our strength to better contribute our wisdom to a brighter future of our motherland.

A sage once said, Man's life consists of three days: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yesterday is over, tomorrow is yet to come, and what we can hold is nothing but today."Let's treasure today and, thus, study hard; let's bear yesterday in mind and never shall we forget the past. Only by so doing shall we be able to embrace tomorrow and, therefore, to create a more magnificent future.

Gong Xueping,

Member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Honorary President of SIVA