Disabled Wood‑carver

Tang Guoqiang from Hunan is a skilled wood carver. Although he uses a wheelchair, he is passing his amazing skills to the next generation, especially helping young people with disabilities learn his skills and build their own careers.

His life changed at age 9. After a fall on an icy road, he got very sick and lost the ability to walk. Soon after, his mother passed away and his brother also had a serious accident. Young Tang felt hopeless. "I thought my life was over," he recalled.

In 2002, following his father's advice to learn a skill, he found a hacksaw blade and started practicing carving on old furniture. He spent countless hours teaching himself, pressing his elbows hard to steady the wood. His big break came in 2010 at a skills competition. Using just a manual hacksaw blade, he carved so fast that a master craftsman, Xiao Shaoshan, was amazed. Xiao later became his mentor.

With local government support, Tang set up a carving company in 2014. He has a special rule: works by deaf-mute artisans are priced the highest. "They need opportunities, not just skills," he explained. His intricate piece, Silk Road Melody, won a top national award in 2018.

Tang's studio is like a home for disabled apprentices. He teaches them patience by having them destroy 49 walking sticks before mastering the craft. "I want them to stand on their own," he said. Over 20 years, he has created over 700 pieces. His studio's motto is "30% skill, 70% grit". Through online shops and word-of-mouth, Tang continues to create and teach, proving that with perseverance, anyone can shape a beautiful life.