In Guizhou Province village of Dimen, song has long taken the place of the written word. There, young people learn to read and write in the official national language — Mandarin Chinese — but at home they speak in their own tongue: The language of the Dong people.

Recipients of a 2009 Intangible Cultural Heritage designation from UNESCO and a 2012 International Spotlight Award from the White House, the Dimen Dong Folk Chorus comprises 14 young people dedicated to the revitalization and promotion of Dong culture through song. The redolent music is characterized by polyphonic singing and speaks of diverse beauty of rural life.