Armless pianist takes China's Talent title
An armless pianist who plays with his toes has won the first series of China's Got Talent.
Liu Wei, 23, lost both his arms at age 10 in an electrical accident that occurred during a game of hide-and-seek. He taught himself to play the piano at age 18.
Liu defeated seven-year-old stand-up comedian Zhang Fengxi at the final on Sunday (local time) at Shanghai Stadium, the Shanghai Daily reports.
He impressed the audience with his performance of You're Beautiful, singing and using his feet to play the piano.
He also won over the judges by commenting: "At least I have a pair of perfect legs."
After the finale, Liu was invited by Taiwan singer Jolin Tsai to be a guest act on her world tour which will give him the chance to perform in Las Vegas for three months.
The ceremony also featured winners and finalists from the popular Got Talent series in Britain and the United States, including singer Paul Potts and dance group Diversity.
The Got Talent series format was created by British music mogul Simon Cowell.
The Chinese version made its debut in May and has steadily risen in popularity.
The show's director, Jin Lei, told the Shanghai Daily that the ratings success of the show ensured it would continue next year.
"China has so much untapped grassroots talent and we believe the show will maintain its nationwide vitality and popularity for three or five years," he said.