Hearing no impairment to deaf dancer from Jilin

Cochlear implant and years of training have led to increased confidence and joy

Despite living in a silent world for over 20 years, Zhan Junyi has overcome myriad obstacles to achieve his dream of becoming a professional dancer, and is now able to hear music via an artificial cochlea.

The 21-year-old student from the College of Special Education of Changchun University in Changchun, Jilin province, has been deaf since birth.

"I was diagnosed with a congenital hearing impairment when I was born in Beijing. Since I was 2, my parents have taken me to rehabilitation training courses, and I learned to understand people by reading lips," he said.

Zhan credits not only his parents, but also teachers for helping him succeed despite his disability.

"It was a slow and laborious process, but my parents did not give up. I also got a lot of help from other people during the process, including from the teachers at the rehabilitation center," he said.

"When my parents were too busy to take care of me, my teacher would take me back to her home and help me practice speaking. Thanks to their perseverance and help, I have the chance to achieve as much as someone who can hear."

Zhan had an artificial cochlea implanted when he was 4 years old.