A younger Liu Shiming playing the role of protagonist Dou Tianzhang in The Grievances of Dou E or Snow in Summer in 1960s. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the next decades, Liu and New China's top soprano Guo Lanying helped bring modern Chinese opera to a peak until Guo retired from opera in 1980 and turned to teaching. Liu also called it quit after partnering with two other sopranos in the following two years. "I wanted to be solo singer, I told the troupe."

In the following years he recorded a series of songs with rich local flavors from Shaanxi province and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China, Shanxi and Hebei provinces in North China, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces in the Northeast.

Nowadays even though he is approaching 80, he is still invited to sing A Beautiful Legend on stage, in TV programs and other occasions.

Acknowledging the link of his name with the precious stone, Liu says, "Even I’m destined to sing, even if I’m like a piece of stone that sings, I'm blessed.

"I treasure it and try hard to live up to it."

As the lyrics of the hit go, "…… So long as you treasure it deep in the heart

You can’t lose it though heaven and earth prolong."