Like many families across China, Yang Xiangni spent the Spring Festival holiday this year with her loved ones, watching the country's biggest box-office sensation, Ne Zha 2, in the cinema.

It was Jan 29, 2024 — the first day of the Chinese New Year — and the atmosphere was electric with excitement and anticipation. For Yang, sitting in the theater alongside her family, the experience was far from ordinary.

While the audience around her was swept away by the onscreen spectacle, she had a unique connection to the opening scene — her voice, along with those of her team, echoed throughout the theater, creating a powerful, unforgettable moment.

As the screen lit up, a delicate lotus flower slowly unfurled — a visual metaphor for the film's mystical world. Sung by Yang and her collaborators, the opening song filled the theater with a hauntingly beautiful melody, evoking the ancient and otherworldly essence of the story. The melody, drawn from the traditional Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group, transported viewers to a mythical realm where history and legend intertwine.