Lingzhongis also calledThe Story of King Gesar and is an oldQuyiart popular in Tibet.Lingzhongwas transmitted in the form ofQuyiin Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu, where most Tibetan communities have been traditionally located. Originally it was a lengthy epic poem about a Tibetan national hero, and its adaptation to theQuyiform helped to root it deeply in the Tibetan community, where it was handed down orally from generation to generation.The Story of King Gesarepic has a rich diversity of expressions: singing, dialogue, explanations by means of illustrations, etc. It dates back about the 11thto 13thcentury. It has a long history and is widespread. When it is sung in the Tibetan language, it is accompanied by a lute made of a cow horn. Since the epic is rich in content, its structure and musical composition are rich or bulky in nature. Normally, only episodes from the story are sung by traveling minstrels whose function is to recount the history of the Tibetan people.
<</span>quyi24_01>LingzhongorThe Story of King Gesartruly reflects the separation and wars as well as the life of the broad masses in Tibet in the three to four hundred years after the collapse of the Tubo regime. Gesar was the son of the God of Heaven. He was incarnated into the family of a rich and powerful headman to right the in justices in the secular world. Gesar was an excellent horseman and skilled at martial arts. He became king after winning a horse race. He led his people to conquer evil and drive away demons. In his campaigns across the land he helped the poor and weak, and safeguarded the interests of the Tibetan ethnic group. He was highly respected and won great honor among the Tibetan people.
Lingzhongis very rare in terms of art. There are as many as 100 volumes of the biography, each portraying a different figure with distinct character. The stories in it feature the legendary flavor and romantic color. The language is exaggerative and description is fine and smooth. The whole epic combines narration and comments, and adopt quite a lot of Tibetan sayings and vivid parables. It is actually a masterpiece that integrates history, fine arts, linguistics and singing and storytelling techniques.
The performers of the epic fall into three categories -- theTuizhongis said to have inherited the art from previous generations of story tellers; theNiangxiasings and tells stories concerning King Gesar that are largely created by himself; and theBaozhongis said to have been taught the stories by a divine being while in a trance.
Lingzhongis now popular not only in Tibetan areas, but also in areas inhabited by Chinese Mongolian and Tu ethnic minorities as well as Mongolia and other countries. In some regions and countries,Lingzhongis performed in a combined way of Tibetan features and local flavor.
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