The extraordinary 20-year journey of the Confucius Institute would not have been possible without the selfless dedication of the people of CI. The Chinese directors are not only the navigators and helmsmen of the Institutes but also serve as the “parents” of this big family. Together with countless Chinese teachers and volunteers who ventured overseas with their ideals, they have planted the seeds of mutual understanding in every corner of the world, allowing the blossoms of friendships to flourish through Chinese language education. In 2024, another group of directors completed pre-service training and embarked on their respective roles. Among them, some have grown alongside the Institutes, transitioning from volunteers to teachers and eventually to directors; some have returned to serve as directors for a second or even third time, dedicating the most valuable phase of their careers to the CI; others, once trainees, are now teaching experts, passing the torch and bearing witness to the legacy of the CI community across generations. The growth of successive cohorts of directors has been inseparable from the unwavering support of Chinese universities committed to this cause. As a member of this community, Dalian University of Foreign Languages (DUFL) has unremittingly played an essential role for over a decade. Since 2011, it has hosted 10 sessions of pre-service training for Chinese directors, preparing a total of 876 directors for their posts and making outstanding contributions. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Confucius Institute, DUFL also celebrates its 60th anniversary. The training experts and trainee directors took the opportunity to extend their birthday wishes to the Confucius Institute and their “alma mater” in a dual celebration of these milestones.