Tsai Chih-chung on purpose, passion and life in comics

"In terms of mathematics, I believe no one in human history surpasses me – not even Carl Friedrich Gauss, Pierre de Fermat or Isaac Newton."

That's not a mathematician speaking.

It's Tsai Chih-chung, one of the most renowned comic artists from China's Taiwan, who has spent over 70 years drawing and learning – from ancient Chinese philosophy to the mysteries of the universe.

But the question that shaped his life came much earlier. He began wondering what was worth dedicating a lifetime to when he was just 3.5 years old. By 4, he had decided that he would draw for the rest of his life.

In an interview with CGTN, Tsai reflects on three questions he says one should always think about: What do you want to become? Why do you want to become it? And how do you become it?

For Tsai, the first step is understanding oneself. He sees many people spending their lives chasing success defined by others – wanting to be as wealthy, as famous or as influential as someone else. Yet without knowing who they truly are, they may never find the path best suited to them.

That belief has guided Tsai throughout his career. Rather than following trends, he chose to turn Chinese classics such as Laozi, Zhuangzi and Confucius into comics, attracting generations of readers from 66 countries around the world to ancient Chinese thought.

Beyond art, his curiosity has also led him to explore math and physics, "the greatest knowledge in the universe" that he believes is worth a decade of study and seclusion.

For Tsai, true passion does not require persistence. The 78-year-old continues to draw comics to this day.

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Chen Hongyu

Videographers: Ban Jinting, Zhang Zhehao and Li Yufei

Cover: Li Yueyun