Tian Chongxin is a traditional Chinese sleight-of-hand magician and the third-generation successor of the Chinese Mu School of Ancient Color Conjuring. He stopped growing at the age of 14 and was diagnosed with short stature. The 31-year-old is less than 140cm tall and in China is classed as having a level four physical disability. When he was studying, Tian Chongxin was ridiculed and discriminated against because of his short stature, which made him suffer from low self-esteem and a bleak outlook on life. But now, through hard work, he has become a traditional Chinese magician. His performances are intriguing, entertaining and well-received by audiences. What has changed his destiny? What challenging experiences did he face during this transformation?
（Tian Chongxin）
Dwarfism, also known as short stature, is a disorder of growth and development caused by genetic or disease factors, the most common and easily recognized form (accounting for 70% of cases) is achondroplasia. This is a genetic disorder of small limbs. Adult height is usually no higher than 140cm. Growth hormone deficiency is the cause of most other cases. Most people with short stature have normal intellectual and sexual development.
The Chinese word “Zhuru” is a transliteration of dwarf, which originated from the name of a dwarf in Norse mythology. In ancient China, people with short stature were “Clown Dolls” for people’s entertainment. Therefore calling someone a dwarf has a derogatory meaning. Therefore, the disease was renamed “short stature”. On May 1, 2011, China’s first national standard “Classification and Grading of Disabled Persons” was officially implemented, and short stature was included in the scope of disability for the first time.
The height disadvantage makes it difficult for them to obtain stable employment. This is also the case in many other developed and developing countries. In Manila, the capital of the Philippines, there is a law: 150cm is the minimum height for many jobs, which prevents short people from working in police, transportation, construction and even retail industries. In 2012, a people of short stature employment survey conducted by Little People of America (LPA) showed that among 151 respondents, 31% said that height was an obstacle to their careers; The Bureau of Statistics recently reported that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is a staggering 15%, almost twice the overall unemployment rate.
Tian Chenguang is also a patient with dwarfism. He was born prematurely and has been much shorter than his peers since he was a child. His family took him to seek medical advice and tried various folk remedies but to no avail. Tian Chenguang’s height has almost remained unchanged since he was a teenager. He was a little over 1.3 meters tall and had the face of a child, which made him feel very inferior. He did not dare to raise his head when talking to others. Because of his height, he has had trouble gaining employment.
Tian Chenguang said that,he used to work as a factory worker and in a restaurant. Many people said he was short and looked like a child. He often cried secretly and felt very inferior. The wages were very low, sometimes only 300 yuan a month.
After more than ten years of hard work, Tian Chongxin has become a well-known magician in China, with an annual income of about 50,000 yuan. “I am quite satisfied with this income, because it is very difficult for disabled friends around me to find employment, especially the little people. It is hard to survive on their average monthly income.” Tian Chongxin said.
In 2008, Tian Chenguang, who graduated from junior high school, went to Beijing alone to pursue his career. In the huge city of Beijing, he is so thin that he has no friends and no skills, so he can only make a living by selling drinks and ice cream at nightclubs and karaoke venues. But he disliked the job. When he saw the recruitment advertisement for the Miniature Shadow Puppet Theater Troupe, he ran for the interview with the intention of giving it a try. When he came to the theatre, Tian Chenguang found that there were many little people like him there. Although everyone was short, they were able to skillfully control the shadow puppets in their hands and perform interesting stories. He had studied folk art and had some performance experience, so he successfully passed the interview and became a member of the troupe.
Tian Chenguang not only found his own value here, but also found his love - following the introduction by another woman, he fell in love with Jin Juan, a young girl in the same troupe.
Speaking of Tian's love story has to go back to 2008. Tian Chenguang and his wife Jin Juan met in Beijing and have been married for eleven years. Tian Chenguang is 1.39 meters tall and Jin Juan is 1.32 meters tall. They are a couple born in the 1980s and Tian Chenguang is 41 years old, 5 years older than Jin Juan. They have a very good relationship as a couple, and they still hold hands when walking in the street. Many people mistake them for middle school students falling in love. Talking about their wedding, which was also completed in Beijing a few years ago, Tian Chenguang said, “We are a troupe full of pocket-sized people. It is difficult for everyone to find a partner, so there are many romantic relationships among the troupe members. There are 7 couples. The troupe organized a group wedding for 7 of us couples.”
Recently, Tian Chenguang and Jin Juan have been doing Taobao live streaming for four years. In the online live broadcast room, Tian Chenguang and his wife Jin Juan sell goods. Using childish charm and quirky voices they entertain while promoting their products. They have tens of thousands of followers in their chatroom.
People with short stature have historically had difficulty finding work due to their physical limitations, so it’s common for them to turn to entertainment to make ends meet. However, with the continuous improvement of China's laws and the gradual improvement of medical standards, people of short stature have begun to be paid attention to and to be accepted by society, and China has introduced a series of policies to support the disabled in recent years. As part of the disabled group, the lives of little people are slowly getting better.
（Tian Chongxin）
With the continuous improvement of China's laws and the gradual improvement of medical standards, people of short stature have begun to be paid attention to and to be accepted by society, and they also have the possibility of a cure. For children with height development problems, parents already have the awareness to take them for examination and treatment as soon as possible. Although the cost of treatment is high, through treatment, they can receive a better education, obtain a stable job, and have a happy family in the future. For adults with short stature, although their height cannot be restored, China has introduced a series of policies to support the disabled in recent years. As part of the disabled group, the lives of little people are slowly getting better.
“The government takes great care of our disabled people, especially in terms of employment for disabled people. There is a department responsible for arranging and supporting the employment of disabled people. In addition, different disability levels can also receive different amounts of disability subsidies every month. With a disability certificate, it is free to take public transportation and go to the park.” TianChongxin said.
Up to now, more than 20 non-governmental organizations for little people have been established. They are using their own strength to safeguard the equal rights and interests of little people in medical care, education, employment, care, etc., and are also committed to promoting social security-related programs that are beneficial to disadvantaged groups with short stature. Although with the help of the government and social welfare organizations, the lives of some people of short stature have improved, they still have concerns about future elderly care. Tian Chenguang said that now that we are getting older, we are starting to pay more attention to medical and community services. Because most little people may not have children in the future, we have to find a way to support ourselves in old age.
(Tian Yuanrun, Li Xiaotong; Hua Shan; Yuan Yuhua; Hou Yawen; Liu Xiaohan; Lou Xinyu; Liang Ruixin）