Shanghai Daily News

Determined to overcome the challenge presented by their blindness, a Shanghai couple is now a business success story, writes Xu Wei.

The story of the life of Helen Keller will always be a source of inspiration. The strong-willed blind and deaf girl altered the perception the world had of disabled people as she struggled to conquer her sightless world of silence.

Shanghai, perhaps, doesn't have a Helen Keller but the story behind the hundreds of massage centers in the city that are operated by blind people is no less inspiring. Shen Huifen is just one of them. When Shen, a blind massage therapist, quit her massage job in a hotel in 1998, she took with her only one thing -- a dream that was to be realized in her future. Today, her Songsong Massage Center, with two branches on Siping Road and Dapu Road, is thriving after being built from scratch by Shen and her husband who is also blind. In the finely-decorated rooms of the center, some 50 therapists work on body massage, Chinese herbal foot massage and oil sage for the back. On average, the center treats around 100 customers each day.

``The name `Songsong,' which means literally a relaxation that is both physical and mental, best conveys our wish to soothe people who have to live and work in these fast-paced modern days,'' Shen says. The 34-year-old looks confident and elegant. She and her husband Zhou Xinyu both graduated from the Shanghai School for the Blind in 1990, with certificates as massage therapists, a traditional occupation open to blind people in China. Shen first worked at a hotel while Zhou was hired by a massage clinic in a local hospital but after some years both of them felt frustrated in their never-changing working environment, plus it was hard for them to gain promotions. ``You know, the blind usually have a stronger desire to prove their worth and abilities,'' Shen says.

``We also have dreams and passions and badly need a stage on which we can showcase our talents.'' The couple then made up their minds to establish their own business but the decision aroused fierce argument within their families. ``Our parents and friends found it hard to understand why we would give up decent and stable jobs,'' Shen says with a grin. ``They even thought that our jobs were the best-ever luck a blind person could have.

But that was not the life we expected.'' Shen and Zhou quit their jobs without telling their parents and opened the Songsong Massage Center in 1999. For the first six months, they worked long hours each day to get the business off the ground. To introduce the center to the neighborhood, Shen even knocked on the doors of all the houses in the surrounding streets. ``I won't forget the experience of being driven out of residential quarters by the security guards -- it was a bit painful but nevertheless encouraging,'' Shen chuckles. ``I never regretted our decision. Those early formidable days made me happy and strong.'' Her husband agrees. ``As disabled people, we started from below scratch,'' Zhou says.

``That meant we needed to dedicate much more of our time and energy to make our business a success. But the feeling was so great when our endeavors started to see good returns.'' Time passes but the price at the center for massages remains the same -- 48 yuan (US$5.80) for 45 minutes of therapeutic massage.

The couple discovered that the number of repeat customers plays a vital role in the massage ``industry.'' Now that massage has become a ``must-have'' service at many beauty salons and the competition they face has become fiercer.

``In my opinion, there are no `sunset' industries but only `sunset' companies,'' Zhou says. ``Business opportunities lie everywhere and although we are blind, we can discover them with our hearts.'' To boost their competitiveness, the couple have never hesitated to acquire new knowledge and skills. They speak basic English and Japanese to communicate with foreign customers and still read medical books in Braille after work every day. In addition, they came up with a door-to-door massage service specially tailored for white-collar office workers who have to sit at computers all day. ``Such an unhealthy lifestyle may lead to serious spinal problems and mental stress,'' Shen says. ``Plus they have little time for physical exercises and personal health care.'' Yang Yongqing, a white-collar customer, is a fan of Shen's and Zhou's mobile massage service. ``The passive exercise can save time and energy. It is an ideal and efficient choice for us,'' Yang says. According to the Shanghai Association of the Blind, there are about 90,000 blind men in town. More than 150 massage centers opened by blind people are currently registered in Shanghai, employing around 1,000 certificated blind masseurs. ``The local government also provides blind people with professional massage guidance,'' says Zhao Jihong, chairman of the association.

``Training classes for junior blind masseurs are free. Blind masseurs also enjoy tax breaks.'' Lao Guomin, director of the Shanghai Instruction Center for Massage by Blind People, says that the city is also attracting blind masseurs from other parts of China.

``More than 700 blind masseurs from other areas of the country are working in the city now,'' Lao says. ``And, at the same time, more and more young local blind people are improving their personal development through university education.'' Therapeutic massage has been used as a form of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. Massaging muscles and soft tissue stimulates the nervous system, increases blood flow and relieves stressed muscles. The therapy has been proved to be helpful both physically and emotionally. Many people don't conceal their preference for blind massage.

``I trust the blind massagists and regularly go to their clinic,'' says Xu Ziyan, a 50-something retired teacher. ``They're doing miraculous work. They can't see anything but can correctly feel your acupuncture points.'' Xu's words are echoed by Tang Hongquan, manager of the Kangmei Massage Clinic. Tang hires only blind massagists as they are diligent and practical. Doctors admit that the advantage blind masseurs have over sighted people is ``concentration.''

``The blind are more `immune' to outside disturbances,'' says Professor Hou Baoxing with Shanghai's Longhua Hospital. ``However, people should not be superstitious about blind massage. Professionals at major hospitals can also provide similar health benefits.'' George Yan, a Singaporean businessman, says he has tried blind massage several times. ``Most of them have had professional training sessions and their skills are pretty good,'' he says. ``But they can't see a customer's reaction. If they can strengthen mutual communication with the customer, the healing effect will be better. Blind massage is also popular with Singaporeans although there are only about two places for community service back home.'' For Shen and Zhou, massage has another meaning. ``The career has the power to drive out darkness and brighten up our lives,'' they say. ``In that sense, we're lucky.''