Loved, laughed, and cried - she did it her way

By Liu Meng

A 22-year-old girl who spent four years singing in an underpass in Xidan, the bustling commercial district in Beijing, has signed a contract with New Run Entertainment (NRE) and will release her first album next month.

When a passer-by made a video of Ren Yueli singing "The Wings of the Angel" in the underpass two years ago, he could not have imagined how it would change the girl's life.

The video was an Internet smash hit, with click counts measured at 10,000 per minute.

The song and video earned Ren the nickname "Xidan Angel." Online comments referred to the sadness in her voice, saying it was "as clean as a fountain."

"I felt I was being protected by an angel, and being in that underpass, I felt lonely and helpless. I conveyed that in the song. I think this is why it became a success," said Ren.

Since joining forces with NRE earlier last month, Ren has put all her energy into preparing her album. Ren believes all underpass singers have a special passion and says she still often pines to return to her old, familiar environment in Xidan.

"I have always loved singing but had no chance to learn. This is the first time I have been able to make money from singing," she told the Global Times.

Zero to hero

Ren was born in the countryside of Zhuozhou, Hebei Province. Her mother is mentally handicapped and her father is physically disabled. The heavy economic burden of their situation meant she had to quit studying when she was 14-year-old.

Ren made the decision to come to Beijing five years ago, with a goal to make money. While working in a Fuxingmen underpass she met a young guy, who was also trying to make a living with his guitar.

At the time she had just 100 yuan ($15), which she paid to him in return for some guitar lessons. She rented a small house next to his, and spent her days standing alongside him in the underpass, and at night practiced with his guitar.

After two months, Ren started singing alone in the Fuxingmen underpass. "I sang there for one day and then switched to Xidan. There are less passers-by in Xidan and it was quieter, and easier for me to concentrate," she said.

The experience of singing in the Xidan underpass was hard to forget. It was an emotional cocktail of joy, misery and inspiration.

One night, a drunkard dropped some coins for Ren, and mumbled a few words. "For sympathy, pauper." Ren was enraged and threw the money back at him.

"Everyone has their reasons for doing what they do, even a beggar. His words were too insulting," she said.

On Valentine's Day in 2008, she received flowers and chocolates. A music teacher from the Central Conservatory of Music always gave her encouragement whenever he passed by.

"He told me that I was improving and gave me a thumbs-up and a smile. As an amateur singer who never had any instruction from professional teachers, his words really gave me strength," Ren said.

Fans of Ren Yueli take a group photo in front of the Bird's Nest in June last year. Photo: Courtesy of Wang Jiajia

Hard times

Of the four years she worked in the underpass, 2008 was the toughest.

During the Beijing Olympic Games period there were very few people going by.

"During those 15 days I earned next to nothing. The 10 kilograms of rice and porridge I bought back from my hometown kept me alive."

Ren is grateful for the friendships she made while working in the underpass.

One fellow singer introduced Ren to a song called "Taxianglu" and recorded her performing it.

"It touched the company boss, and I got the job," she said.

She said she had always felt like a loser and had no idea how she was able to continue singing in the underpass. In winter, she said her frozen fingers were burnt on the strings of the guitar, and in summer, the high temperatures and sweltering air made her breathless.

"I really didn't know about my future," said Ren.

"Now I feel more confident and have found my target in life. Now I know I will focus on my singing and use my voice to create happiness until the day I die."