TEDxTheBund 2025 explores goals and motivation

Eight speakers representing diverse fields addressed the TEDxTheBund 2025 annual conference. The speakers, Chen Penbin, Liu Liping, Lu Yi, Tudou, Yu Mingfeng, Cao Jun, Pang Ying and Ni Ping drew on their experiences and shared insights around "Wisdom in the Middle Way", offering valuable thoughts on growth, breakthroughs and perseverance.?

Themed "The Halfway to Victory: Wisdom in the Middle Way" and with sports brand Saucony as chief partner, the July conference — coming at the natural midpoint of the year — emphasized that life is a series of ongoing journeys rather than a single sprint. As the curator noted in closing; "True victory is not the fireworks at the terminal, but the glow on your skin from adjusting your posture midway''.?

Speakers offered varied perspectives. Chinese ultra-endurance athlete and Guinness World Record holder Chen emphasized that victory amid chaos stems from tactics accumulated through countless errors. "Loss of control and mistakes allow us to explore the unknown in extreme fields." Renowned neurology expert Liu from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, shared her team's decade-long effort to achieve breakthroughs in stroke research. "To move from excellence to excellence, one needs the courage to step out of the comfort zone and take a path that may be full of twists — there are no shortcuts," she said, adding, "Medical victories always belong to patients."

Aviation industry innovator Lu noted that current exploration of low-altitude airspace is a new attempt built on a century of traditional aviation expertise. "The wisdom in this journey lies in knowing our goal is ahead, and even more so in moving forward with determination at this very moment." Chinese actor Cao reflected, "The first wisdom of the middle way is the clarity to sink down. This sinking is not a passive fall but an active dive, listening to one's inner voice in silence." He believes the height of life lies in the depth of each step, not comparison with others.

Renowned debater Pang, from a personal growth perspective, pointed out that many people's unhappiness stems from losing control over defining life's meaning: "When our goals are overly standardized, we lose the right to define the meaning of our own lives." She encouraged people to break self-imposed limits and live brilliantly through choices. Veteran Chinese television host, actress, and author Ni interpreted "Wisdom in the Middle Way" as persistence: "What matters is perseverance. As long as you keep going, what you finally hold in your hands will be what you desire."