Nguyen Tien Cong plays the flute with his nose. (Photo: Ngoc Anh/ VOV5)

Nguyen Tien Cong was born in 1958 in Ha Tinh province. He went blind when he was 5 months old. Raised in an orphanage, Cong studied hard so he could support himself.

“I grew up in Hanoi’s Patronage Center for Orphaned Children. I have always done my best to support myself and follow President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching 'down but not out'," Mr. Cong recalled.

Cong now lives in a small house in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi and is the breadwinner of his family. He earns his living making and selling toothpicks, brooms, incense, and bamboo flutes. Cong can play the flute with his nose. His unusual flute performance attracts lots of visitors around Hoan Kiem lake in the Old Quarter. He also helps other disabled people integrate into society.

“I teach disadvantaged children how to make incense and bamboo flutes. I plan to open a class to teach students how to play the flute with their nose,” Cong said.

Cong has also written hundreds of poems about the land and people of Vietnam.

Cong’s talent and strong spirit have been publicly recognized. He was invited to attend Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day last month and will receive a certificate recognizing his talent from the Vietnam Association of Crafts Villages in early February.