After the drawing of lots, the competitors took the stage one by one, beginning the first round promptly at 8 pm. There were no flashy lights, no grand set pieces — just the performers and their voices.

The first notes emerged — a low, rumbling growl that vibrated through the very walls of the bar. The crowd fell into a hush, each listener absorbed in the raw power of the sound. Murmurs of appreciation floated through the air as smartphones rose to capture the moment. The energy in the room was palpable.

Among the competitors was 27-year-old TanghisKhoo, a tall man with a quiet intensity about him. Born in Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, he moved to Beijing with his father when he was just 3 years old. He returned to Hohhot when he was 5, and it was there that he first discovered khoomei while watching TV.