Nurturing tradition

In the Sanjiang Dong autonomous county of Liuzhou in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, more efforts are also being made to preserve and promote the ethnic group's song heritage.

In late April, President Xi Jinping visited the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi in the regional capital, Nanning. Guangxi is a national demonstration area for ethnic unity, and the region should continue to give play to its exemplary and leading role, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

To that effect, Sanjiang resident Wu Chunyue, another Grand Song lead singer, regularly practices with at least six team members and runs workshops to nurture young singers.

"The songs are a collective effort, and the more people sing them, the better they sound," said Wu, 40.

"We've known it all our lives and feel a deep responsibility to pass it on to future generations."

Long Xiaoqin, deputy head of Sanjiang's publicity department, said: "Our government attaches great importance to the Dong Grand Song. We believe this is what makes our Dong people special." She added that the songs complement the rich culture and pristine environment of the county, which draw millions of tourists every year.

"So far, we have more than 200 masters here. The government encourages them to pass on their skills to the young to keep the tradition alive," she said.