Let's make this birthday one to remember.

85 years old (Born on January 04, 1940)

Happy Birthday, Gao Xingjian! May your day be as delightfully absurd and wonderfully profound as your groundbreaking dramas. From scaling the heights of "Soul Mountain" to exploring "The Other Side," you've shown us that life's greatest truths often lie hidden in the most unexpected places—usually behind a curtain of existential humor.

Your novels, plays, and paintings continue to inspire laughter, reflection, and occasional head-scratching worldwide. Here's hoping this birthday brings you joy worthy of a Nobel laureate—and perhaps fewer existential crises than your characters typically endure. Cheers to another year filled with creativity, success, and delightful absurdity!