TikTok hit showcases ability over disability

In 2000 China became a polio-free country, but during Liu’s childhood polio was still a major cause of disability and when he was less than a year old, a high fever caused polio and he lost the ability to walk well.

In high school, music touched Liu, he worked hard and majored in vocal music. After he graduated, Liu was hired by a special education college in a private university in Beijing. During his three years there, he taught around 30 students from all over the country. 

In 2010, around the time Liu was teaching, China had just 16 special education colleges nationwide, which were only able to enroll about 3,000 students.

It’s not easy or common for China’s disabled community to enter higher education. According to the latest statistics from 2007 just 1 percent of disabled aged above 6 had received higher education and illiteracy rate hits just over 40%.

Things have improved radically in recent years, including the removal of barriers for disabled students to take exams and study in regular Universities, as well as special education institutions. In 2014, a Braille test paper for college entrance was finally introduced and then in 2015, the Ministry of Education and the China Disabled Persons' Federation issued guidelines requiring examining bodies to offer "reasonable" assistance to students with disabilities taking college entrance exams.

However, the number of candidates with disabilities taking the college entrance examination are still in a minority.

In 2008, when Liu’s first batch of students graduated, most faced difficulties finding music-related jobs. Liu sympathised with the gap between his students' reality and dreams.

"I didn’t want to see so many years of effort go in vain. I didn’t want these students to give up their dreams," Liu says.

Against by his relatives and friends’ advice, Liu and his colleague, Zhong Huile, took out their savings - 80.000 yuan each (USD $11.000) - and inspired the students to form an orchestra.

However, without any funding, reputation, or connections, this unknown orchestra ran out of money within a month. In the next four years, Liu and Zhong trained their musicians and secured some minimal funding. 

In this way the orchestra made a living by repeating the few same songs over and over in a tourist area earning a meagre income.

In 2012, the Orchestra secured funding  from a private donor and returned to Beijing. After this ‘long march’, they named the orchestra “Shanshui  (mountain and water)  Liu picked the name after a Confucian saying ‘The wise find pleasure in water; The virtuous find pleasure in hills’.  Liu asserts “We shouldn’t care about others’ judgments, we just need our own integrity, to do things well and play our music with heart”.

Perhaps it’s this ethos that took them through the tough times ahead and to their current success.

Hao Wenliang joined the orchestra this year. Before that, he worked in a disabled people’s performing art troupe. He spent his days practicing a variety of skills but had no time to focus on the Er Hu, a two stringed instrument, (sometimes called a Chinese Violin in the West) the instrument he specializes in and loves. His previous troupe was also always on the road for performances leaving him exhausted.

Hao says that joining the orchestra has given him community, happiness and the freedom to focus on the ErHu again. Against all the odds Hao doesn’t just have a career, his career is his passion.

Born in a remote rural village in the northern region of China, Shaanxi, Hao got visually impaired from birth. His family were farmers, too poor to afford a private special school, Hao recalls they were probably not even aware those schools existed.

He once followed his sister to primary school and tried to listen to the class, but a teacher asked him why he had bothered to come if he was blind and that he should stay at home in the future.  Hao embarrassed and dejected did as he was told.

Discrimination is still a prevalent problem that the entire global disabled community faces.  There has been a lot of attention on disability issues in China in recent years and situation is improving year by year, a recent state white paper evaluates the success of recent decades and also recognizes much more needs to be done and pledges a commitment to action. But Hao’s childhood illustrates how seriously discrimination impacts lives and how urgent it is to address.

One day his father bought him an Er Hu as a gift and inspired his musical Journey. It was a savior and a retreat for Hao who said other children shunned him and he was lonely growing up. “Music means happiness, when you are blue, you can turn music for help”.

Due to his impaired visual, he couldn’t read sheet music and needed to work hard. He asked others to read sheet music for him and then memorized and practiced over and over.  By 11 he was already starting to perform.

“Without music. I don't know what I would do. I couldn't live without music,”Hao says. Not being able to attend school remains his biggest regret. But with hard work and plenty of practice, Hao rose to become an outstanding ErHu player, winning many awards. At one competition, the principal of the college where Liu Jidong worked, noticed and recruited him. Hao became Liu’s student.

Hao says he just hopes to perform more, train his own skills and build a stable career with the orchestra.

Du has the most severe disability of the members. She got severe polio in childhood and underwent numerous surgeries and can now can move around with a wheelchair.

Short videos have increased the orchestras popularity, but Du isn’t chasing stardom.

"If you don't have the desire to perform, you won’t be a good performer, you shouldn't take fame as an important goal to chase," Du says.

What makes Du happy increasing performance opportunities and to travel to different places. Travel and access are luxuries for Du, who has faced access issues her whole life. China has improved barrier-free facilities, but there are still many problems.

Every days tasks like climbing the stairs is a hard job for Du because disable friendly stairs are rare in China, forcing her to ask help from others. But she says she accepts the situation.

"First of all, we have to admit that our body has a disability. But in other respects, we are no different from able-bodied people. Whether you have a disability or not, you can go for help when you need help. We are all in a social group, so we must help each other.”

Du believes that people with disabilities should have more connection with non disabled people in society and vice versa and that social inclusion is an important factor in changing the living conditions of people with disabilitie