information:extraction, stylistic:style_transfer
Early life

Teng was born Teng Li-yun to waishengren parents in Baozhong, Yunlin County, Taiwan on 29 January 1953. Her father was a soldier in the Republic of China Armed Forces from Daming, Hebei, and her mother was from Dongping County, Shandong, who fled to Taiwan after communists took over mainland China in 1949.

The only daughter among five children, Teng was raised in a poverty-stricken family and spent her early childhood in military dependents' villages, first in Yunlin and then in Pingtung. Teng's father retired in 1957, and then worked selling cakes to make ends meet. Teng received her early education at Luzhou Elementary School in Luzhou, Taipei County, Taiwan.

Teng was exposed to music at an early age through her music-loving parents. Her father was a Peking opera enthusiast, and her mother appreciated Huangmei opera, often accompanying Teng to Chinese movie theatres and opera houses. At the age of six, Teng began her voice lessons through an acquaintance of her father's, who instructed an air force band. Considering the environment of 1950s Taiwan under martial law, Teng's first mentor introduced her to singing before military audiences, a practice Teng continued throughout her life.

Teng earned her first major prize in 1964, when she sang "Visiting Yingtai" from Shaw Brothers ' Huangmei opera movie, The Love Eterne, at an event hosted by the Broadcasting Corporation of China. The following year, Teng went to attend Ginling Girls' High School in Sanchong, Taipei County, to further her studies. However, due to conflict between her performances and studies, forced by family economic factors, Teng dropped out of school in the second year and pursued her career as a singer professionally. Teng was soon able to support her family with her singing.