China Focus: Disabled figure model shares bare truth in viral video

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a pair of red boxers and holding a crutch in his hand, Li Yunxin sits in a classroom as students paint pictures of him.

"I don't care what others think of me," said Li, 38. "I care about making a living and surviving in society."

Li, who lives in Xining City in northwest China's Qinghai Province, used to be a beggar on the street. An acquaintance introduced him to the world of figure modeling, which helps him eke out a living as a disabled person. He suffers from cerebral palsy and cannot walk properly.

In a video that has gone viral in China, Li is seen eating noodles alone inside a street restaurant, his crutch lying on the ground. In the classroom where he poses as a figure model, paintings of him in red boxers and holding crutch are everywhere, and students carefully sketch his body.

Li's story was shared by Pear Video on microblogging site Sina Weibo, gaining 700,000 views as of Wednesday noon.

Many Weibo users expressed their sympathy as well as admiration for Li.

"Life is tough, but you are such a strong person," wrote Weibo user Bojiekemake. "I hope that the world will treat you kindly."

"He relies on himself to make money, and he is quite responsible for his family," read another comment. "I think what he does is great."

Figure modeling is still considered a disgraceful job by many Chinese, and conservative attitudes prevail as the "naked models," as they are known in China, are required to remove their clothes in public.

It is not the first time that figure models have stirred discussion in China. In January, Wang Suzhong, an 88-year-old from Chengdu, gained media attention for his job as a "naked model" at a university in Sichuan. Wang said in a viral video that he can make 70 yuan a day with his clothes on, and 100 yuan naked.

"This is for art, and I am not ashamed," he said.

Models usually pose for students in art schools, especially those studying painting and sculpture, but the number of figure models is quite limited, partly due to traditional views about the job and the low wages it brings.

According to a 2012 report by Chengdu Economic Daily, up to 1,000 art students in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, work with fewer than 20 older models. The models receive about 20 yuan (3 U.S. dollars) per class, almost the same as a decade ago.

Li said he accepted the job for financial reasons.

"I have three other family members, and my parents are too old to take care of all their expenses," he said. "So that's why I came here, to relieve their pressure."

Li said he usually makes 90 yuan for each class in which he poses naked.

"The most difficult thing is climbing up the stairs in the schools," Li said. "Climbing from the first floor to the fifth floor makes me sweat a lot."

In his spare time, Li also sings for people to make some extra cash.

"I just want to tell my mom and dad that I'm doing pretty well," he said in the viral video. "Don't worry too much about me."

China has more than 85 million disabled people. More than 70 percent of them live in the countryside, and many are struggling to make ends meet as they are unable to work.

According to an official survey in 2015, of more than 15 million working age people with disabilities in both rural and urban areas, just over 40 percent were employed.

China has been striving to protect the rights of the disabled. In 2016, the central government released a plan vowing greater support for the disabled, outlining how their lives will be improved over the next five years.

From 2012 to 2015, 4.96 million impoverished people with disabilities in rural areas were lifted out of poverty and 3.17 million poor disabled residents in rural areas received training, according to a government report reviewing human rights during the period.

Yan Can, a lawyer in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said that due to the influence of traditional culture, negative attitudes toward figure models still permeate society.

"I hope that self-reliant people like Li can get more support and understanding," Yan said. "They deserve a life of respect." Enditem