Song tells heartbreaking story from devastating blaze

The song's huge popularity has also made Mohe an in-demand tourism destination. Visitors flock to the city to see the ballroom, in the hope of meeting the elderly man.

Li Jinbao, who owns the ballroom, told Beijing News: "The man often visited my ballroom in 2019. However, since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have not seen him.

"I was 21 when I witnessed the fire that swept through Mohe. The city was later rebuilt and its first public ballroom opened, which immediately became popular among local residents."

But as other forms of entertainment became popular, demand for ballrooms began to fall.

As he loved dancing, Li, who is now 55, started the ballroom in 2018, but the business wasn't a success.

"I had decided to close the ballroom, but one day I received a young visitor from Shenzhen, Guangdong province," he said. "He told me he had traveled more than 20 hours from Shenzhen to Mohe, just to visit my ballroom."

Li then changed his mind about closing the venue.

"I will continue with the ballroom, providing a place for those who love dancing, especially seniors," he said.