学进去

For most graduating students, the college-admission season, usually in July and August, is a nervous time that is often described as a life-changing moment.

An anxious 18-year-old Peng Lanxi got his admission letter from Hunan University of Science and Technology on July 26, bringing his dream closer-making prosthetic limbs (假肢) more advanced and accessible to people like him. His mother Wang Chunmei couldn’t hold back her tears because she knew how her son had overcome the difficulties.

Peng Lanxi lost his legs in a car accident in 2005, when he was a baby. Having learned to walk using just his hands, he enjoys life as much as the teenagers around him. On his wheelchair, he plays basketball and badminton. Once a week, he goes for a 40-minute swim, and his best time for 100 meters is one minute and 15 seconds.

“I believe that obstacles (障碍) are there to be conquered. Someone says that life is like a mirror, and we get the best results when we smile at it,” Peng Lanxi says.

His story has gone viral (在网上快速传播的) on social media platform Sina Weibo, which has been viewed more than 19 million times and he won admiration from its users for his courage, determination and hard work. A user named Shuangpi comments that Peng lost his legs, but he doesn’t let that get in his way.

The official account of Hunan University of Science and Technology on the platform has even commented, “Welcome Peng to the university.” Lu Ming says that the school will help Peng to pursue his dream—to be a prosthetics engineer, a career that will change lives. Peng is not alone, as authorities have improved the presence of disabled people on mainstream campuses in recent years. 14,559 students facing physical challenges entered college last year. From 2016 to 2020, about 57,500 special needs students were admitted into universities, a more than 50 percent increase compared with the 2011-2015 period.