(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-04 10:31

If not for a gift his father bought for him at 7, it is hard to imagine where he would be. On the electronic organ, the boy recited the melody of a popular TV serial's theme song. His parents, both factory workers in Harbin, Heilongjiang province of Northeast China, soon found a music coach for their son.

In 1990, Yang was picked up by a local art troupe formed by disabled people. The 11-year-old played piano. But he soon gave up.

"It is almost impossible for a blind man to be a great pianist, because I cannot recite the notes as quickly, neither can I communicate with the orchestra effectively."

In his eight years in the troupe, Yang focused on improving his singing skills. The efforts paid off. When a Beijing art troupe wanted to recruit some new staff, he was chosen.

He insisted on living in Beijing alone, telling his mother he could take care of himself. This strong will, he says, comes from his grandma, the first person who told him that he was no different from anyone else.

"My grandma was a very strong woman, she raised six children during the hard 1960s," Yang says. "She often told stories of how she survived these trials. Although I have to admit as a little boy I did not like those stories, they did have a great influence on me."

Yang was not popular in the troupe, however. He was particular about each performance and some senior staff did not like him, including an assistant assigned to look after him. But one incident would change their views.

Once, due to his assistant's oversight, Yang fell down by a mountainous road and hurt his hands and legs severely. But when they found a hospital the next morning, Yang refused to be anesthetized, saying it was unnecessary. His assistant, seeing the doctor picking out the dust and gravel from Yang's wounds, was stunned.

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