Guo Jiayuan practices dance. (Photo/Hsw.cn)

A Chinese young man suffering from cerebral palsy was recently hailed for his toughness and courage in life. After being rejected by a number of employers because of his disease, the man started performing traditional Chinese opera which he has been teaching himself since childhood.

The 22-year-old man by the name of Guo Jiayuan was born in Xi'an, in northwest China's Shaanxi province. With a keen interest in traditional Chinese opera, he said he learned this art form from television.

Though facing difficulty in movement, Guo has never given up on his passion for performing Chinese opera.

According to him, he was imitating performers from television at the beginning, but he gradually developed his own style.

Inspired by other street performers, he generated the idea of making his own performance, believing it might be a good source of income. In addition, he also wanted to show his talent to the public.

Every night he goes to a local park and performs for about 1.5 hours by which he earns 100 to 200 yuan a day at best. “Ever since I started performing in the park, I’ve never asked for money from my family,” Guo said.

Guo’s father said that Guo was taught to be independent since a child, since it is impossible for his parents to take care of him for his entire life. “He learnt how to cook at around 10, and the housework of the family is also done by him now,” he added.

"I love traditional Chinese opera, and I will keep performing," said Guo, saying that he hopes to join opera troupe one day for systematic study.