Zhang Liyong, the migrant worker who studied hard to become a Chinese star

The childhood memories of Zhang Liyong were mostly of poverty in Ganzhou, a village in Jiangxi province. Having dropped out of school at the age of 17, Zhang went to Guangzhou in search of work. Ironically, it was life as a migrant worker that taught him the value of education and learned skills, especially speaking English. Today, the 38- year-old is a household name on the mainland, known for his fluent English and the free inspirational speeches he gives to students.

I have always been an enthusiastic learner. If my family had not been so poor, I would never have dropped out of school in the second year of senior middle school. We lived in fear of the spring rains, because the roof and walls of our home could collapse at any moment. We could not afford to fix them. Before the school term started, I would become anxious. I would find my parents knocking on doors of friends and neighbours, trying to borrow tuition money for my sister, my brother and I. Life was hard, and learning felt like a luxury to me at the time. But I did not abandon my the dream of going to university, so I always tried to find time for study.

I like English, and being able to get a grasp of it makes me feel as capable as university students. When I came to Guangzhou to find a job at 17, I encountered nothing but hardship because I had no skills. One day I applied for a job at a joint venture business. At the interview, I was asked questions in Cantonese and English. As I stood there speechless in the office, I felt so ashamed. I did not get the job, of course, but the failure made me resolved to continue learning English.

I used to work on a construction site. While my workmates were drinking, singing and playing cards, I was reading middle-school textbooks to learn English. It was hard to concentrate while sharing a work shed with dozens of people, but I tried to focus. I also helped workmates to send money through banks and write to their families. Many of them were illiterate, and they were very grateful. One day, a co-worker said: "You are different to us. You should lead a better life." Several days later, he introduced me to a relative of his, who was the manager of a toy-making company with a factory.