'Smiling angel'

Tang Xiangong is regarded as a "smiling angel" at Lanzhou University, because his big smile inspires his classmates to persevere in the face of adversity.

Tang, who has cerebral palsy as a result of a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth, has also received financial aid from the university.

His parents are farmers in a village in Henan province, and their financial situation has worsened as Tang's medical bills have increased.

To help ease the burden, the school has exempted Tang's tuition fees. The 20-year-old also receives a national grant for impoverished students worth 4,000 yuan annually.

The mathematical sciences major also receives 1,000 yuan a month from the school because his academic performance is so good that he has joined a special class established specifically to cultivate math talents.

His condition means he is unable to control his body, remain in a balanced position or hold a pen, and he speaks and writes much more slowly than his classmates. Despite those factors, he has never let his physical condition hold him back from his studies.

He always sits in the front row of the class, and has never been late, asked for leave or failed at any subject.

"I worked so hard to enroll at the university and received so much help from other people that I cannot let myself or them down."

The third-year undergraduate wants to continue his studies at the university by pursuing a master's in computer mathematics, a field closely related to artificial intelligence and big data.