Tang Qishu, 34, is less than 1 m tall and disabled, but that has not prevented him from achieving his ambitions.

As a child his parents held out little hope for him in life, and he was often mocked by others.

Tang has moved and inspired many by his courage and tenacity.

He comes from a village in Shizhu county, Chongqing Municipality, and suffered from infantile paralysis at the age of two.

Walking is his biggest obstacle. He uses his hands to walk, bent low his face almost touching the ground.

He left his hometown at the age of 15 to seek his fortune, much to the anxiety of his parents.

He traveled from city to city, carrying a backpack. When there were no buses or other means of transport, Tang was forced to walk for miles on his hands.

"At first I went south to Guangzhou and learned the techniques of raising pigs. Then I sold medicines for pigs, visiting numerous towns and villages," Tang said.

"After a few months, I returned home to do business in Chinese medicines."

Tang said he had also tried various other businesses, but now he was mainly interested in raising pigs and chickens.

He makes light of his struggles.

"For the past 20 years, I have had about 10 different jobs, and failed in most, because of my disability.

"One should learn from one's failures. Don't trust advertisements. Always consider market risks," he said.

Although he has had only a primary school education, Tang said he knew that failure would eventually lead to success. He often reminded himself: "A successful man must be a loser first."

At the beginning of last year, he decided to invest all his savings - 70,000 yuan (US$10,000) in raising pigs and chickens.

Many friends had tried to persuade him not to do so, but Tang was determined. He built a cabin to live near his pig farm.

In bid to save money, he built most of the cabin himself, including fixing the beams, tiling the roof, and leveling out the surrounding ground.

"You cannot imagine how he crawled up to the roof to lay the tiles. It was frightening," His eldest brother said.

"Our parents had worried about his life and asked us siblings to take care of him. But actually he is doing the best among us."

The recent snowstorms, however, had inflicted heavy losses for Tang.

"The snow was more than one foot high, and I had not enough time to clean the pigsties. What's worse, a pig ready for slaughter froze to death, and some of my chicken also died," Tang said.

To his annoyance, because of the cold and no matter how much the pigs ate, they did not seem to get fat.

"The more they eat; the thinner they became," Tang said.

"Far from earning money, I have made a loss of several thousand."

But he takes comfort in the number of eggs his chickens are now laying - about 70 each day - which he sells at the local market.

Tang's hopes remain high as the weather improves. He plans to buy 60 more piglets and expand his farm.

"There is always a way out. Sometimes, a man's capabilities need to be taxed under extreme conditions."

The local deputy town head, Ren Jianxin, has much respect for Tang. "I have been here for more than 10 years and Tang has never asked for anything from the government. He makes a living with his own hands and has even requested his disability allowance be canceled."

Tang said: "I do not feel inferior. I am an ordinary man, and can overcome problems."

(China Daily February 29, 2008)