Manas: An oral encyclopedia of the Kirgiz people

With melodic singing and rhythmic chanting, like a deity whispering softly, the stories of the hero Manas have been shared for over a thousand years.

China's Kirgiz people take immense pride in their oral tradition: the Epic of Manas, an extensive work spanning eight chapters across 18 volumes, with over 230,000 lines and 20 million words. It's celebrated as one of the "three major epics of China."

Although Mamay has passed away, the tradition of singing the epic lives on among the Kirgiz people.