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The chanting of verses from the King Yalu epic is a common feature at funerals and festivals of the Miao ethnic group. [Photo provided to China Daily] |
Huang was known for his singing of all six battlefield scenes from the epic.
"His death is a big loss," says Chen.
"I am afraid the tradition will die someday. I spent my whole life learning and preserving the songs, and they are priceless to me. I hope to pass them to the young generation," he adds.
There are some 3,000 dong lang among a population of 300,000 in western Guizhou's impoverished Mashan area, says Yang Zhengjiang, director of the King Yalu Cultural Research Center.
Yang Zhengjiang, himself a member of the Miao community, started his research on the epic after he graduated from Guizhou Minzu University in 2002.
Since 2009, the 32-year-old has interviewed hundreds of folk singers, including Huang and Chen, to make video and audio recordings about King Yalu.
