The superstar Chinese pianist on the rigours of childhood practice, mum’s home cooking and sharing a flat with his dad and some mice
Food is so important in Chinese culture. Millions of books say what you should eat in each week of each season, on Monday rather than Sunday, full-moon or half-moon, rain or thunder. Food is the number one subject talked about every day, even more than the economy.
In the cultural revolution of the 60s, my future parents – who were middle-class musicians – were taken away to work on distant rice farms in the countryside for five years, where they ate very little. So, I was the only child – because of the one-child laws – of parents who’d had their career dreams shattered. I have no memory of my father smiling.
Related: Lang Lang: 'It's about the joy that music can give'
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