Folk singer pushes to preserve the voice of a Miao epic

Chen Xinghua's childhood idol was his late uncle, Wei Changxiu - an esteemed folk singer in Daha, a mountainous and isolated village located in Ziyun county, Guizhou province.

What makes Wei and other dong lang legendary is that they chant epic songs about their perceived common ancestor, King Yalu, in old Miao language that has been passed down for hundreds of generations.

With its cultural value equaling that of three other Chinese ethnic epics - the Tibetan King Gesar, the Mongolian Jianggar and the Kirgiz Manas - King Yalu is also sung at funerals.