'Epic of King Gesar': Cultural memory passed down through the centuries

Editor's note: The "Epic of King Gesar" is performed through storytelling, song and recitation. It tells the story of how a Tibetan demigod king, King Gesar, conquered his enemies and helped ordinary people in the 11th century. Zaduo county in Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai province, is one of the key regions where the Gesar epic has been passed down and preserved.

The Gesar epic was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. This recognition honors the Gesar epic as one of the world's oldest oral traditions.

A painting depicting King Gesar from the "Epic of King Gesar" in the prefecture-level Gesar Cultural Preservation and Transmission Base in Zaduo county, Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Qinghai province, Aug. 27, 2026. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]