Epic tale remains a story worth telling

Dynamic evolution

Yeshe Ihamo, a researcher on Gesar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says: "The tale of King Gesar is a great epic jointly created by people of multiple ethnic groups. It's now told and sung in more than seven provinces and autonomous regions in China, mainly in Xizang, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as well as Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces."

Years ago, people living in remote pastoral areas didn't have many choices for entertainment. The Epic of King Gesar was a way for them to learn about the world and enjoy some entertainment.

The storytellers back then were like wandering minstrels, traveling from place to place and gathering many interesting stories. As they told the tales of King Gesar, they would mix in stories they heard from different places and share them with the local herders.