STORY: Discovering Tibet with FPV drone: An inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
DATELINE: July 15, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:52
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of dreaming about Gesar
2. various of recording studio
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Staff member in recording studio
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Staff member in recording studio
7. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
8. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): Staff member in recording studio
9. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
10. various of Tibet University

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
"I had a dream when I was nine years old. Vast grassland, beautiful flowers, cattle and sheep. Two valiant and heroic generals took me to a place. There I saw camps and a robust caravan. They said that I was the one that King Gesar was looking for. Then I swallowed the whole epic. One of the generals told me that I would inherit the Epic of King Gesar for the rest of my life. Then they saw me off on a colorful rainbow path.
Suddenly, I woke up."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): Staff member in recording studio
"Hello, Mr. Dorje. Are you ready?"

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
"Yes."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): Staff member in recording studio
"OK. Let's get started."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
"I'm Sithar Dorje, an inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar. I'm from Banbar County, Qamdo City. Now I work in the Gesar Research Office of Tibet University."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): Staff member in recording studio
"Scene 12 of King Gesar. Three, two, one."

The Tibetan Epic of King Gesar is generally considered the world's longest folk epic.

It tells the story of how an 11th century Tibetan demigod king conquered his enemies and helped ordinary people.

The epic has been passed down orally by singers, herders, and farmers and was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.

Lyrics:
"Good wine and tea are offered today as we usher in the auspicious time. On this land, at this time, prosperity and auspiciousness abound. The heavens and earth are filled with blessings."

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): SITHAR DORJE, Inheritor of the Epic of King Gesar
"Gesar is a great heroic epic of Tibetan oral folk art. It's known as "The Iliad of the East." It was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006, and was included into the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2009.
After I had that dream at nine, I got to know how to sing the legendary Gesar epic poem. During class breaks, in teahouses, and during traditional Tibetan festivals, people love to listen to the Gesar epic.
As I was getting older, I found that many of the stories of the epic hold practical significance, indicating family harmony, ethnic unity and so on.
Then, an unforgettable experience completely changed my life.
I was invited to attend a national seminar on Gesar in Lhasa. So I went there. And I really wanted to pay a visit to Tibet University. I knew that the renowned Tibetan Gesar singer Drakpa had carried on the legacy of Gesar in the university.
After my first visit to Tibet University, a desire took root in my heart: I hope that one day I can come here to study as well. In 2010, my wish came true as I arrived at Tibet University to pursue my studies. And in 2017, I became the highest-educated inheritor of Gesar (oral storytelling) at that time.
At the university, I felt like a student myself. It's really pleasant and relaxing to stay on campus. Within the campus, the inheritance of Gesar is also a modern approach to heritage preservation.
Most of the inheritors are from pastoral areas, and it is relatively rare to find them in urban areas or universities. So I consider myself fortunate to have caught up with the good times.
At Tibet University, I have recorded over 30 performances of the Gesar epic storytelling and have compiled around 10 books based on it. This is a complex and systematic undertaking. I have the opportunity to engage in exchanges and learning with many people, gradually spreading the culture and stories of Gesar to many others. This responsibility weighs heavily on me.
As an inheritor of Gesar storytelling, I have "time-traveled" from the era of Gesar to the campus of Tibet University. As I engage in cultural communication in the present time, it feels like a dream come true.
Discovering Tibet, this is my story."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)