Folk singer-songwriter Ma Di is on his US tour. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Its smooth melody and lyrics resonated with music lovers after it was performed by Zhang Lei, the winner of the popular TV talent show The Voice of China.

Ma launched his debut tour in China in 2015 and his latest single, Jie Fei (Everything Is Nothing) was released in June.

Speaking about Nan Shan Nan, he says: "For me, it's just one song, which is known by so many people.

"It does not have a big impact on me, and the only thing about it is that it has helped me to build a large following who listens to my other songs.

"I write songs for fun and for myself. I do not plan anything. It (the fame) just happened."

Ma has more than 800,000 followers on his Sina Weibo account. Before he became popular, Ma's dream was to release an album and perform onstage in Beijing.

Recalling his early days, he says it was his love of music that sustained him.

"I was a quiet child and unlike my classmates, who listened to pop music, I felt connected only when I listened to folk songs.

"Though the lyrics of those folk songs were difficult to understand, I found that I could relate to them."

His parents were against him becoming a singer-songwriter, so Ma once worked at a government office earning 1,200 yuan ($180) per month.

However, he quit the job after signing contract with Modern Sky in 2013 and became a full-time singer-songwriter.

One person who is important to Ma's music is folk singer-songwriter Song Dongye, who Ma encountered on Douban.com, the country's largest review site.

The two founded the indie-folk label Sesame Leaves, which they regard as a place to enjoy music.

Ma sees Song as part of his family and invited him to star in the music video of Nan Shan Nan.

"We back each other up. If one day we are not happy about writing songs, we will stop and become taxi drivers," says Ma.

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