A famous pianist, a father’s triumph

Lang senior chronicles Lang junior's success

Lang Guoren, father of pianist Lang Lang, hid in the corner besides the stage with tears in his eyes, while his friend read the letter Lang senior wrote to his son. Lang Guoren, too shy to read the letter out loud, expressed how proud he was of his famous son.

After listening to his father's words, Lang Lang said that happiness aside, he also felt a bit sad. The father and son duo have been through their share of trials and tribulations over the years, complete with unforgettable moments.

The emotional press conference for Lang Guoren's new book, Wo He Langlang 30 Nian (Thirty years with Lang Lang) held in Beijing Thursday, was attended not only by the media but also Lang Lang's piano teacher Zhu Yafen and close family friends.

Documenting Lang Lang's childhood, the book focuses on the relationship between father and son, from the early days to Lang Lang's rise as an international pianist.

Typical Chinese parenting?

One infamous story about the pianist's training was that Lang Guoren once gave his son the option either to practice until success, or to die. Lang Lang had to practice for 10 hours a day.

Since Lang junior's success, he and his father hardly talk about these terrible moments in the past. In this new book, Lang Guoren offers the public a chance to see a more amiable side of himself, as a traditional Chinese father.

Lang senior compares himself to typical parents of musical children in China.

"I am the same as others. I cannot predict the future, but I can only work hard all the time."

Media figure Yang Lan said that when she first met Lang the father, she thought he was the kind of parent that firmly believed that discipline and oppression meant the same thing.

But later she understood that Lang Lang was not an ordinary child. Without some of the more extreme ways of his upbringing, Lang Lang might not be the superstar he is now.

Lang Guoren is often compared to the "wolf dad," a male version of the tiger mom popularized in Western media through Amy Chau's severe parenting techniques.

But Lang Lang, at age 30, is not a child any more.

"My dad is not a lang (wolf) dad. He is daddy Lang," he said.

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