Shanxi writer excels from her wheelchair

At the age of 13, Li began to learn Chinese — from the most basic knowledge, pinyin, the dictionary or asking her parents, neighbors or any others willing to help.

Then she started some simple readings, such as short poems and stories.

"It usually took a lot of time to understand the meaning due to my small amount of recognized characters, but I persevered," she said. "With accumulated knowledge, I was able to read long novels, such as Sherlock Holmes detective stories."

"The joy of reading for me was just like bright fireworks in the dark sky," she said. "Furthermore, reading not only brought me endless vitality and creativity but also brought me a chance to change my fate."