Why China is in a Prosperous Era | The Millennium Epic "Manas" Endless Manas | Culture | Prosperous Era
[Opening remarks]
For over 5000 years, the Chinese nation has continued its historical context, and has written a vast and profound Chinese civilization with the enterprising spirit of upholding integrity and respecting the past. In the prosperous era of China, why is China? Without understanding China from its long historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, modern China, and future China. Tracing the footsteps of a thousand years of cultural heritage, telling the story of passing down the torch in intangible cultural heritage.
In the western border, oasis valleys are set between the continuous snow peaks of the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, nurturing horses, eagles, and generations of singing Kyrgyz people. For thousands of years, they have infused the history of their nation into their singing, converging into an eight part epic poem called "Manas" that spans over 230000 lines.
"I want to sing the heroic Manas like a lion... This is a story left by our ancestors. How can we not finish it?" On the Gobi Desert in Wuqia County, Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, Maimaiti Turgan Aisek's singing rises with the sunrise. "For us Kyrgyz people, 'Manas' shines like the sun in the sky."
Maimaiti Turgan Aisek is a member of the Kezhou Song and Dance Troupe. Over the years, he and the members of the troupe have brought "Manas" to every corner of Kezhou, from the foot of the snowy mountains, on the green pastures, on the stage, and in the felt houses.
From the first time "Manas" stepped out of the grassland and onto the stage in 1984, it has since developed into various forms such as duet, choir, performance, opera, dance, and musical. Over the past few decades, this millennium epic legend has continuously innovated and moved from the Pamir Plateau to a wider and more distant land.
Continuing the Memory of Ethnic Groups, a Thousand Year Epic Leaps Away from the Paper
Manas is a legendary hero of the Kyrgyz people. The epic poem "Manas" is named after him and tells the story of him and seven generations of descendants leading the Kyrgyz people to resist foreign aggression and pursue a happy life.
Manas was not created overnight by a single person, but rather the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Kyrgyz people. Through thousands of years of oral tradition, generations of Kyrgyz people have integrated their understanding of the surrounding things and social life into the epic, making it the "encyclopedia" of the Kyrgyz people.
Local children almost grew up with the sound of "Manas", and Maimaiti Turgan Aisek was no exception. He has been living in the border pastoral area of Uqia County, Kezhou since childhood. Whether on the Yin Yin Ranch or in the warm yurt, he can always hear "Manaqi" singing heroic stories loudly.
"Manas Qi" is a respectful title in the Kyrgyz language for folk artists who sing "Manas". It is the recitation of "Manas Qi" from generation to generation that has enabled this legendary epic to break through the dust of history and be passed down to this day.
Nowadays, Maimaiti Turgan Aisek has also become a "Manaqi" and works as a composer at the Kezhou Song and Dance Troupe. In his memory, he always retains the scene of watching the old man sing "Manas" when he was a child.
On the carpet of the felt room, a group of people sat in a circle, with "Manas Qi" wearing white felt hats and ethnic costumes sitting cross legged in the middle to sing. The space in the felt room was limited, and more people could only stand outside the felt room, lifting the blocked felt and looking inside. The voice of "Manas Qi" is sometimes resounding and sometimes graceful, accompanied by waving arms, or imitating the majestic posture of Manas galloping on the battlefield, or expressing sincere praise for the hero. Due to the large range of movements, "Manaschi" often moves forward bit by bit while singing, but the fully immersed himself is not aware of it at all.
Generation after generation of "Manaschi" have poured wisdom and imagination into this epic, with the most commendable being Ju Sufu Mamai. This 97 year old man is the only "Great Manas Qi" who can sing eight complete parts of "Manas" so far. In the hearts of his hometown people, he is as majestic as the snow peak of Mustag and a conqueror of heroic epics.
Since the 1960s, China has been conducting large-scale investigations, collection, recording, translation, publication, and research on the epic of Manas. Among them, the eight songs "Manas" sung by Ju Sufu Mamai spanned 30 years, went through three performances and records, and were finally recorded in 1983 and published in 1995. This feat marks the transition of the epic of "Manas" in China from oral to textual, and from a dynamic to a fixed textual form. In 2004, a Chinese translation of over 20 million words of "Manas" was released based on this work, which lasted for 17 years.
The Story of Heroes Goes Down the Pamir Plateau
Whether it's wedding celebrations, important festivals, or in their spare time, the Kyrgyz people always gather together to sing the song "Manas".
Under the influence of his childhood, Maimaiti Turgan Aisek often secretly imitated the singing and movements of adults, but at that time he had not yet thought that one day he could wear a holy white felt hat and sing this legendary epic to the public with all his might.
It was not until he joined the Kezhou Song and Dance Troupe that Maimaiti Turgan Aisek began to systematically learn the singing techniques of the epic Manas. The most difficult aspect is the coordination and integration of tone, gesture, and emotional expression. "A good 'Manaschi' not only needs to sing enough length, but also needs to be able to move people's hearts." This requires the singer to completely immerse themselves in the epic story, using the coordination of tone and gesture to convey the emotions contained in the lyrics most appropriately, "said Maimaiti Turgan Aisek.
"Manas, the blue maned wolf, rode his horse and launched an attack, his face shining like the sun... From behind, he had the majesty of a white tiger; from the front, he had the divine power of a giant dragon; from above, he had the radiance of the Alepkara divine bird..." This is a passage that Maimaiti Turgan Aisek particularly likes. In the felt felt room, following his high voice, resolute gaze, and powerful waving arms, the majestic and majestic Manas seemed to appear before his eyes.
He graduated from a music college and has been trying to use modern music techniques to make "Manas" more infectious. In the latest rehearsal of the musical "Manas", Maimaiti Turgan Aisek added elements such as harmony and symphonic instrument sound through computer production. "In my mind, the melody of" Manas "has a grand and progressive style, a gentle and soothing style, and a lyrical style, as well as a fusion of multiple elements to express his heroic spirit of perseverance and determination, as well as his love for the world."
The song and dance drama "Manas" was jointly created by Kezhou and Jiangsu, which is supporting Xinjiang. It was completed in 2019 and successfully premiered in Nanjing the following year. In August 2022, the Kezhou Song and Dance Troupe teamed up with its subordinate county and city song and dance troupes, totaling over a hundred people, to launch a rehearsal. In five chapters, it showcased the inspiring journey of Manas's birth, growth, alliance and development with various tribes, and finally getting married with Kanekai, leading the tribe's warriors on an expedition and achieving victory.
On March 18, 2023, the musical "Manas" kicked off its performance at the Beijing Ethnic Theater. The resounding drum beats, the beautiful notes of Kumzi, combined with the singing of "Manaqi" and the graceful and vigorous dance movements of the dancers, together present a magnificent epic painting full of strong border customs. As the first performance of the 2023 "National Ethnic Region Art Troupe Jinjing Exhibition", members of the Kezhou Song and Dance Troupe performed four consecutive performances in Beijing. Whenever the play ended, applause and cheers in the theater continued for a long time.
Singing endlessly, cultural treasures shine brightly
In his spare time, Maimaiti Turgan Aisek enjoys studying the music composition of "Manas" and trying to use new arrangements with lyrics. Whenever he encounters uncertainty, he will consult his teacher Jiang Nuri Turi Gan Ba Yi.
Jiang Nuri Tureganbayi, who is over 50 years old, is a famous "Manas Qi" in Wuqia County and a representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage at the autonomous region level. He has been learning to sing "Manas" from his grandfather and father since childhood, and has been reciting it for 30 years now.
At the age of 13, Jiangnuri Tureganbayi held a grand "Manas" singing event in Aheqi County, Kezhou. He rushed to attend and met the famous Ju Sufu Mamai for the first time. The young man bravely walked up to the master, volunteered to sing a section, and thus became the master's disciple.
Wuqia County and Aheqi County are hundreds of kilometers apart. Every time he goes to the teacher's house for classes, Jiangnuri Turiganbai has to catch the early morning minibus, bumping on bumpy dirt roads for eight to nine hours before reaching the teacher's house near sunset. Although it is hard work, there are still some gains. A few years later, he was invited to sing "Manas" at a wedding. Unconsciously, he sang from evening until dawn. The herdsmen on the grassland lifted the felt in their felt houses to watch him sing, and the elderly came with the help of relatives and friends to listen. Everyone praised him as the "particularly vicious" Manas Qi.
Nowadays, in order to better protect and inherit "Manas", Kezhou has established the "Manas" Conservation and Research Center, and has continuously held the Manas International Cultural Tourism Festival and Manas Singing Competition; Utilize winter and summer vacations to hold cultural heritage training courses in cultural centers, schools, and township comprehensive cultural stations, and establish a team of inheritors who combine the elderly, middle-aged, and young.
There are also more and more disciples around Jiangnuri Turiganba Yi, and 14-year-old Maimaitali Yetiku is one of them. He has a pair of pure blue eyes, like the water of Lake Karakul. Whenever he mentions "Manas," his clear eyes always ripple, full of irresistible love. He first came into contact with "Manas" at the age of three, and began learning to sing under Jiang Nuri Turiganba at the age of six. Currently, he is able to recite over a thousand lines of content. "My favorite thing is to describe a war when Manas was young. When he was about to lose, Manas came and turned defeat into victory. I like his bravery and bravery, as well as his heart that disregarded everything to protect his people," said Maintali Yatiku.
At a young age, he has participated in singing "Manas" multiple times, initially in kindergarten, and later in activities organized by the village committee and various festival celebrations. Urumqi is the farthest and most meaningful place where he has performed. There, he and his master Jiang Nuri Turgan Bayi, as well as senior artists such as Maimaiti Turgan Aisek, sang "Manas" for the General Secretary. After that day, he secretly set a small goal for himself, to complete eight parts of content by the age of forty or fifty, and strive to become a great "Manaschi".
"The story of the hero Manas... there are many battles of leaping horses, towering giants like mountains, many horses racing hurricanes, and many singers like spirits..." Under the night, accompanied by a bonfire, Maimaiti Turgan Aisek played the melodious Kumzi while singing ancient melodies with Januri Turgan Bayi and Maitai Tari Yetiku. The history of the nation is hidden in the eyes of singers, but memories remain in the song for generations. With ancient memories, the Kirghiz ethnic group plays a new triumphal song of progress in the northwest border.
China Internet Development Foundation China Positive Energy Network Communication Special Fund
