At the request of the Chinese authorities, the UNESCO proclaimed in 2001 that a millennium anniversary should be held for the Gesar epic. Following this decision, many events took place in 2002 as part of the millennium celebrations, and among them, a five-day festival was performed in Machen (Amdo).
This lecture, based on observations made during the festival and on Tibetan sources, questions the role as-signed to the epic and its hero by the Chinese authorities on the one hand and the Tibetans on the other, focusing on the Gesar dances performed during the festivals by monks from monasteries of the various counties of the Mgo log Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
It shows that while the Gesar epic is used as a propaganda tool by the Chi-nese in their “civilizing” project, for the Tibetans it constitutes a space for cultural expression, not to speak of a “space for resistance”, a niche which they make use of to affirm their identity.
"May the new emerge from the ancient! May the ancient serve the present!" The Gesar festival of Machen (Amdo 2002)
08.04.2011 16:15 - 18:00
Organiser:
Institut für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde
Location:
Seminarraum 1 des Instituts für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde