On the morning of the 15th, National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan held its graduation ceremony, with special guest speaker Lin Qingxia, the Golden Horse Award-winning actress. Lin Qingxia’s appearance at 10 a.m. immediately caused a sensation, drawing many parents who came specifically to catch a glimpse of the charm of the “Invincible East” and even had fans gathering outside the venue.
Lin Qingxia stepped into the film industry at the age of 19 in 1973 with the movie “Outside the Window,” adapted from the original work of Chiung Yao. She was one of the most famous Chiung Yao-style romantic film stars in Taiwan in the late 1970s, known as the “Two Qins and Two Lins” along with Qin Xianglin, Qin Han, and Lin Fengjiao. In the late 1980s, she gradually shifted her focus to the Hong Kong film industry and successfully transitioned to costume martial arts films in the 1990s, with “Invincible East” becoming her most iconic role.
During her speech, Lin Qingxia mentioned that she failed the university entrance exam in her youth but was unexpectedly discovered by talent scouts, leading her into the film industry. She expressed that she originally planned to finish filming “Outside the Window” and “Floating Clouds” before going to college but ended up filming one movie after another.
While Lin Qingxia lamented the regret of not attending university, a regret that had weighed on her heart for decades, she also reminisced about how she portrayed characters studying at universities multiple times in films, even portraying a student at Tsinghua University, which sparked enthusiastic applause from the audience.
After getting married in 1994, Lin Qingxia withdrew from the entertainment industry. Prior to that, she starred in over a hundred films, winning the Best Actress award at the 22nd Asian Film Festival, the 27th Golden Horse Awards, and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 60th Golden Horse Awards in 2023. Transitioning to become a writer, she released her first essay collection “Clouds Come and Go” in 2011, followed by works such as “Inside the Window, Outside the Window,” “Before the Mirror, Behind the Mirror,” and “Qingxia Sketches.”
At the graduation ceremony, Lin Qingxia delivered a speech as an honorary Doctor of Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong, encouraging Tsing Hua University graduates to “find happiness within themselves first and then bring happiness to others,” receiving a round of applause.
At 69 years old this year, Lin Qingxia is approximately 47 years older than the current graduates. While some students expressed unfamiliarity with Lin Qingxia, citing a generation gap, the university explained that many top foreign universities have invited celebrities to give speeches at graduation ceremonies. For example, American pop music sensation Taylor Swift was invited to speak at New York University, Asian actress Michelle Yeoh was invited to speak at Harvard Law School last year, and Hollywood actor Tom Hanks has spoken at both Yale and Harvard University. Therefore, they believe that having diverse speakers, not just entrepreneurs and politicians, can be beneficial to students.
Many parents of graduating students expressed excitement at Lin Qingxia’s presence, with some even more thrilled than their children. Some parents described Lin Qingxia as an idol from their generation, having grown up watching her films. There were even fans who brought books with them and rushed to take photos with Lin Qingxia as she appeared, eliciting cheers from the students in the audience.
Tsing Hua University President Gao Weiyuan explained that he personally invited Lin Qingxia to speak to the graduates because they had become friends during her time as an honorary Doctor at the University of Hong Kong when he served as the vice president. He believed that Lin Qingxia’s entertainment career and life experiences, including overcoming many setbacks, could provide inspiration to young people.
In her closing remarks, Lin Qingxia shared her life experiences to inspire the graduates, encouraging them not to be disheartened by failure, as each setback is a turning point in life. She urged them to strive to be the best version of themselves, shining brightly and illuminating not only themselves but also others.