Here's one of the first reviews that I've seen of Howard Goldblatt's and Sylvia Li-chun Lin's rendering of Alai's The Song of Gesar, and one that I particularly enjoyed because reviewer Jim Murdoch is a Scottish writer who does his research, takes a stand and makes no claim to being a China hand: When this book … Continue reading Alai’s “The Song of Gesar”: Abridged, Prose-driven Text and Lack of Annotations Disappoint
Category: Tibetan Topics (藏族话题)
King Gesar Update: Academics Congregate, but Septuagenarian Bard Struggles to Pass on the Tradition
One-third of the extant written versions of the Tibetan epic King Gesar (格萨尔王) make a reference to Maqu County in Gansu (玛曲), leading Chinese experts to believe it may be the historical birthplace of the epic. But according to a report on Chinanews.com (说唱传承人), only one bard residing there is capable of performing the saga. … Continue reading King Gesar Update: Academics Congregate, but Septuagenarian Bard Struggles to Pass on the Tradition
“The Shepherd’s Dream”: An Excerpt from Alai’s “King Gesar”
Several years ago, UK publisher Canongate commissioned contemporary ethnic Tibetan writer Alai to pen his own creative version of the King Gesar saga. The plan: to launch Alai's King Gesar (格萨尔王, 阿来著) as part of its global Myth Series, joining other creatively re-told tales including The Penelopiad (Margaret Atwood’s take on Penelope of The Odyssey), Baba Yaga Laid an Egg (Baba Yaga as … Continue reading “The Shepherd’s Dream”: An Excerpt from Alai’s “King Gesar”
“Tibet Code”: China’s New Imaginary
In Inventing Chinese Mass Tourism to Tibet, we see the creative marketing of China's Tibet moving into high gear: The most recent and most spectacular staging of Tibetan history and culture, specifically intended for tourist consumption, was announced in 2013. Three mass entertainment companies combined in 2013 to turn the best selling Chinese fantasy book … Continue reading “Tibet Code”: China’s New Imaginary
Au Tibet, les conflits sanglants entre Christ et Bouddha
Dans Au Tibet, les conflits sanglants entre Christ et Bouddha, Bertrand Mialaret nous signale un roman et un événement actuels qui traitent sur l'histoire des religions au tibet du XIXe siècle: Un livre et une exposition sont centrés sur les conflits sanglants entre le Christ et Bouddha à la frontière du Yunnan chinois et du Tibet. Deux … Continue reading Au Tibet, les conflits sanglants entre Christ et Bouddha
Caixin’s “Day in the Life of a Beijing Black Guard”: Straight out of “Champa the Driver”
In January 2013, Beijing-based Chan Koonchung’s novel The Unbearable Dreamworld of Champa the Driver (《裸 命》, 陈冠中) was published in Chinese in Hong Kong. The closing chapter recounts how a young, naïve Tibetan chauffeur from Lhasa proudly takes his first job in the capital, working in what he refers to as “Preserving Stability Hotel” (维稳宾馆). … Continue reading Caixin’s “Day in the Life of a Beijing Black Guard”: Straight out of “Champa the Driver”
Tibetan Epic “King Gesar” Published in 8-volume Chinese-language Edition
A comprehensive 8-volume, 2-million word translation of the Tibetan classic “King Gesar” (格萨尔王传) has just been published in Chinese by Higher Education Press (高等教育出版社), according to a report carried on China Ethnic Literature Network (中国民族文学网). The traditional Epic of King Gesar (Tibetan: གེ་སར་རྒྱལ་པོ), believed to date from the 12th century, relates the heroic deeds of Gesar, … Continue reading Tibetan Epic “King Gesar” Published in 8-volume Chinese-language Edition
Mini-review: Gao Ping’s “Tsangyang Gyatso, The Sixth Dalai Lama “
Leave me to myself. Go away. I have had enough of your demands on me. I didn't ask for it. What right do you have to make me your Dalai Lama? What right do you have to make me a eunuch, while still leaving my body and passions intact? (From Paul Williams' The Erotic Verse of the … Continue reading Mini-review: Gao Ping’s “Tsangyang Gyatso, The Sixth Dalai Lama “
“King Gesar” Book Review: Epic Ballad Turned Novel Lacks Poetry
Writes David Yao (姚达兑) in a review of the new best-seller, King Gesar (格萨尔王), by Alai (阿来): . . . the tale of King Gesar is recited by [the roaming bard] Jin Mei, while the entire novel is recited by Alai; King Gesar recounts his world-weariness and confusion to Jin Mei, while the novelist makes use … Continue reading “King Gesar” Book Review: Epic Ballad Turned Novel Lacks Poetry
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