[centre][img=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/China_Qing_Dynasty_Flag_1889.svg]

[b]The Empire of the Great Qing[/b]
[i]New Year Speech given by Prince Gong at the Great Qing Gate in Tiananmen Square (February 18th, 1863)[/i][/centre]

Our good and loyal subjects.

On behalf of the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, I would like to wish every family happiness, peace and health in the New Year. 

The first year of Qixiang has ushered in a most glorious restoration for the Great Qing Dynasty. The lands of the south, once scorched by the despised Taiping rebels, has witnessed a truly remarkable regeneration. True to our words, labourers from all over the Middle Kingdom upheld the fine task of bringing prosperity back to Nanfang. Where lands were once blackened and desolate now grow the most lushest of crops, and where nought but ruins and wreckage decorated the lands now stands an abode for each family. Embodying the virtues of the ever faithful dog, the Great Qing has generously provided to its people. It is yet another charitable deed in the Celestial Empire's long history, for we seek to better the lives of our noble subjects for all eternity.

It has also heralded a tremendous boost for the Self-Strengthening Movement as a whole new class of officers, trained in the arts of modern warfare by some of the brightest minds of the Occident, have assumed the mantle of both the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy. Although it is a change to be rightfully proud of, as our military ushers in a leadership with a talented and modern outlook on life, it is merely one step along the road towards witnessing a true military modernisation. A long journey awaits us, but the strength of our martial spirit can not be denied. Soon, we shall be able to bring about a grand modernisation effort for the military. They shall possess the sharpest of minds, the finest of rifles, the bravest of souls, and an everlasting loyalty to the Son of Heaven and all of his loyal subjects. Through the completion of this arduous task, each and every one of us Chinese shall be afforded the greatest protection that we deserve.

Another victory for the Self-Strengthening movement has been met, as the minds of our youth encounter the knowledge of the west. Courtesy of France, professors and scholars from a country with a deep philosophical tradition have journeyed afar to pass their sagacity onto our own teachers and our own children. Although the east has brought upon this earth some of the most intelligent thinkers of all time, so too has the west. The teachings of Master Kong, Master Meng and Yan Yuan are just as insightful as those from Voltaire, Descartes and Pascal. As one of our traditional adages tells us, [i]"A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood".[/i] It is imperative for the youth of China to not heed knowledge from not only their own garden, but the world around them. Only with an open mind shall their talents flourish unheeded, and allow for the next generation to the wisest of all.

With the arrival of the spring begins the second year of Qixiang; the year of the water pig. It is a time of benevolence and abundance. In the spirit of the pig, I shall like to wish a year where we may generously share what we have sown; not just from the Emperor to his subjects, but from all walks of life - from the father to his son, the elder brother to his younger brother, the husband to his wife, and to one friend to another friend. Underneath the guidance of the Celestial Empire's light, a most favourable year lies ahead for every one of us. Let us make great strides this year as bountiful harvests await us in all we do.

May all under heaven enjoy a happy and auspicious year.