This English version may have been machine-generated from the Chinese original and may not convey the original meaning accurately.
Summer's heat has finally settled in.
As we stood in Times Square unfurling the banner for the 48th time, the sultry heat of early summer had already enveloped the entire intersection of Manhattan. Tonight, 3 people showed up.
1. A Holiday Square, and Those Young Faces
Today is Memorial Day, a U.S. federal holiday. Students are on break, and this already-crowded square was even livelier than usual.
With the weather warming up, there were noticeably more people out enjoying Times Square. Every stone bench was packed, with barely a gap to be found. And amid this crowd, one change stood out in particular—there were many more students. Young faces moved through the square in small groups, carrying the particular ease and energy of a holiday.
What made today especially unique was that the photos from our entire event were taken by these students we had never met before.
Without hesitation, they took our phones and carefully helped us frame the shots and press the shutter. Young, energetic, full of hope—that was the most immediate impression they gave off.
2. 198964: Another Generation of Young People's "It's My Duty"
Watching these students so eagerly lend a hand, my mind drifted far away.
I thought of June 4, 1989, and those students in Tiananmen Square.
Back then, they too were young, full of energy, and carrying hopes and dreams. There's one piece of footage I remember clearly: the person filming asked a student riding a bicycle where he was going. The student answered, "To Tiananmen Square." The filmmaker followed up—Why?
The student's answer was simple: It's my duty.
More than thirty years have passed, and those words still carry a power that cuts through time.
Standing here in Times Square right now, if someone asked us why we keep coming here week after week, I think my answer would be the same as that young man on the bicycle:
It's my duty.
Not because it will change anything immediately, but because—once you decide something is right, standing up for it is itself a responsibility. That student on the bicycle, and the students who helped us take photos today, and us—we're all standing on the same simple conviction.
3. The 48th Time, the Flame Still Burns
The 48th time—few in number, but no less significant.
What made today special was that, for the first time, this action was recorded almost entirely "by students' hands." A group of young people on holiday, without even realizing it, became part of our expression this time.
We support the right of the people of Taiwan to define their own way of life, and we hope that freedom, democracy, and the rule of law will one day truly come to China. This road is long, but every generation has its own "It's my duty." The students of 1989 had it, the young people in the square today have it, and we have it too.
As long as there are still people willing to say these words, willing to answer with action, this relay for freedom will not stop.
The 48th time, recorded here.
Next Monday, the 49th time, we'll still be here.