One-armed violinist prepares to take a bow

A man who lost a limb after a traffic accident is learning to play the instrument in a bid to overcome his disability and regain control of his life, as Dara Wang reports from Hong Kong.

A man with large round eyes bends to his instrument. The piece of sheet metal that substitutes for his missing arm draws the bow of his violin back and forth across the strings, emitting flashes of sunlight with each stroke. Thirty-six-year old Sham Hang-fu's eyes are riveted on the strings, where the fingers of his right hand dance and provide clear articulation of the notes.

The Hong Kong resident, who is busy rehearsing for two recitals he and his teacher will give in front of thousands of people at media events in the city, has overcome a huge physical disability to play with one hand. However, he is convinced that he would never have taken up the instrument if he had remained able-bodied.