The moment Wu Yun opened her mouth, her narrative-enhanced singing in crisp Sichuan dialect cut through the air at a small teahouse in the provincial capital Chengdu.

Under a soft spotlight, each of her facial expressions was magnified, revealing rich sentiments that ran from composure, doubt to elation. Her voice rose and fell, complemented by a background music from the Chinese hammered dulcimer yangqin, walking a roomful of ardent viewers through plots of a local legend and tugging at their heartstrings.