Wang Daeshun was born in 1936. He was one of nine children of a cook and a housewife. At the age of 14, the boy went to work as a streetcar conductor. In his youth he realized that he had a passion for acting, and began taking free acting and choreography lessons.
In the early 1980s, Wang held his first fashion show in the northeastern city of Changchun. Before that, he showed up at the city’s largest department store saying, «Give me your most beautiful clothes, and I’ll organize a show.» At that time, Wang admitted, the Chinese had no sense of style, they only wore black, white, gray and blue. Deshun continued:
«I wanted to instill a sense of style in ordinary people. Eventually we created a swimsuit show. At first the models refused, thinking it was indecent, but eventually they agreed.
Wang Daeshun was a successful theater actor for over 20 years. When he was 40, he fainted right on stage, and then the episode happened again. This was largely due to the fact that he took the emotions of his characters too close to his heart. Doctors diagnosed him with vegetative neurosis and advised him to leave the stage, as continuing acting could be fraught with negative consequences for his health. He left the theater and began volunteering at a school for the deaf. Wang even learned sign language and told the children interesting stories.
Later he made a name for himself in the art of pantomime. At the age of 50, he came to an exhibition of Rodin’s sculptures. Daeshun genuinely admired his work, but realized one thing: his body did not look as perfect as Rodin’s sculptures. Van said, «It was an instant obsession.»
He started going to the gym, to the ice rink, to the swimming pool, and in 1993 performed his first live sculpture show in Beijing. However, deeming Wang’s show too sensual, he was forbidden to perform in public, but continued to give performances privately.
But an exciting new chapter in his life began in 2015. Chinese designer Hu Sheguang was discussing the concept of his future fashion show with his girlfriend, DJ QQ. At that time, the girl’s phone rang and the photo of Dashun, her father, popped up. After the call, Hu Sheguang immediately said he knew who would open his show. The designer made the right choice, a trim 79-year-old man with a hipster beard and long hair who was a sensation even though he was on the catwalk for only 30 seconds. As the hero himself said, he had been preparing for this day for 60 years.
After this show, Wang was interviewed on numerous occasions, asking him to share his attitude to life and how he managed to maintain such a youthful fervor. His answer was the following:
«One of the ways to know if you’re old or not is to ask yourself if you dare to try something new. Nature determines age, but it is you who determines your state of mind.» He also confessed, «I have no plan. I’ve always done whatever came into my head, and I will only move forward.»
Wang Daeshun is always open to something new, without making any allowance for age. So he learned English at the age of 44, mastered the art of horseback riding at 65, and started riding a motorcycle at 75. He says:
«People wonder how an old man can have such an amazing body. Meanwhile, I haven’t missed a training session in 30 years.»
By the way, he spends three hours a day at the gym.
However, the model does not limit himself in food: «I’m not picky about food and I eat whatever I want.»
Van Daeshun is now 86 years old. He has a happy family life. He is married with two children and a granddaughter. The man received his pilot’s license in 2021, making his longtime dream come true. Now he has another goal — to skydive. According to him, people can change their lives as many times as they want, the main thing is to set a goal.
Wang Daeshun is one of the few who breaks stereotypes and stays himself.
