Attendees examine 3D-printed artifacts during the International Conference on Epic Studies at the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece, on April 7. Photo: YANG XUE/CSST

As archaeological discoveries increasingly corroborate epic narratives preserved in ancient texts, Chinese epic studies are transitioning from literary research to cross-disciplinary explorations. In reconstructing historical memory and articulating cultural identity, Chinese scholars have introduced indigenous theoretical perspectives, offering new methodologies and comparative frameworks to enrich global epic studies. These developments were shared at the International Conference on Epic Studies, held on April 7 in Athens, Greece.

Under the theme “Epic Traditions and Mutual Learning between Civilizations,” the conference brought together more than 80 experts and scholars from over 10 countries and regions. It was co-hosted by the Institute of Ethnic Literature (IEL) and the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens (CSCSA), both affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Chinese scholars have undertaken large-scale initiatives to collect, translate, publish, and study epic traditions. According to An Deming, deputy director of the IEL, researchers have adopted a framework of integral literature that is deeply rooted in Chinese traditions while embracing a global perspective, steadfastly upholding the literary traditions of the Han Chinese while also preserving and advancing the literary endeavors of various ethnic minorities. This inclusive approach has expanded the literary canon and enriched the theoretical scope of Chinese literature.

Within this framework, the concept of “ethnic minority literature” was established, elevating epics as a central field of inquiry, An noted. The discovery and publication of numerous epic works in China have challenged the long-standing misconception that the country lacks epic traditions. By drawing on international theories while incorporating local cultural perspectives, Chinese scholars have offered fresh approaches to world epic studies, with the development of epic research vividly and profoundly reflecting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

Li Xinwei, director of the CSCSA, elaborated that Chinese classical texts from the 11th to the 3rd century BCE constructed an epic narrative of early Chinese history. According to these records, around 5,000 years ago, the legendary Huangdi Emperor (Yellow Emperor) established a vast unified state, while Yu the Great, approximately 4,000 years ago, tamed floods across the “Nine Provinces” and founded the Xia Dynasty, China’s first legendary dynasty. In the 1920s, scholars of the “School of Doubting Antiquity” dismissed these accounts as largely fictional.

After a century of exploration, Li argues, archaeology has now delineated the grand trajectory of Chinese civilization’s origins. Around 6,000 years ago, China’s prehistoric society entered a transformative phase of accelerated development, with “archaic states” emerging across the land. Through long-distance elite networks, regions developed and shared refined cultural elements, coalescing into a geographically and culturally interconnected community termed the “Primitive China.”

Some 5,000 years ago, the Liangzhu Culture—based in modern-day Zhejiang Province—established a state-level polity, marking a critical milestone in the formation of Chinese civilization. About 4,000 years ago, the Taosi Culture in present-day southern Shanxi established a state-level society whose governance strategies align remarkably with textual accounts, while the Erlitou Site in Henan is widely regarded as the Xia capital. Such archaeological evidence affirms that China’s classical narratives of antiquity were not mere fabrications, but repositories of real historical memory, Li asserted.

Among China’s epic heritage, the Epic of King Gesar (Mongolian and Tibetan), Epic of Manas (Kyrgyz), and Epic of Jangar (Mongolian) are recognized as the three great ethnic heroic epics. Wang Bei, an associate research fellow from the Institute of Literature at CASS, pointed out that the Epic of King Gesar [a sacred narrative about the hero Gesar that took shape in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the 11th and 12th centuries] is regarded by local nomadic communities not as fable, but as lived history. In regions such as the Amdo and Khams in Xizang Autonomous Region, this epic continues to serve as a living narrative of shared values, ideals, and moral codes, and forms a pillar of collective identity.

As postmodern historiography and anthropology pay increasing attention to historical narratives and associated social functions, the concept of “mythistory” has emerged, Wang said. In the Amdo and Khams region, the Epic of King Gesar is not only transmitted as a historical record but continually reinterpreted through its interaction with contemporary life, constituting a fundamental narrative for constructing group identity.

Shulin, a professor at the Inner Mongolian Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted the significant role of the Epic of King Gesar in multiethnic cross-cultural exchanges, elaborating on its manifestations from three dimensions. In terms of content, the epic reflects political, cultural, religious, and economic interaction among Tibetan, Mongolian, and Han communities. Regarding epic creation techniques and skills or epic poetics, it draws on literary techniques from other ethnic groups and the characteristics of Mongolian-Tibetan-Han creation theories. As for epic dissemination, it has a wide dissemination area, involves many ethnic groups, and has numerous published and engraved texts, diverse performance forms among various ethnic groups, and a large number of variant texts. These features illustrate how the Epic of King Gesar embodies the great history of inter-ethnic exchanges, interaction, and integration in China.

Wu Xiaodong, a research fellow at the IEL, has focused on the rich epic traditions of various ethnic groups in China, particularly epics of southern China that are closely tied to traditional rituals, such as the Epic of Buluotuo of the Zhuang people and Xianji of A-xi, or Epic of the A-xi People, of the Yi ethnic group. In his view, the preservation of these epics not only rely on oral transmission but are deeply embedded in specific ceremonial contexts. In contrast, many northern epics have gradually shed their ritual functions and evolved into forms of performance art.

Wu emphasized that despite the ubiquity of visual recording methods, attempts to visually present text-based epics often result in representations that fail to faithfully reflect the originals as compiled by predecessors. Full recordings often include extensive non-epic content, and any attempt to trim or re-edit the material risks undermining its integrity. This underscores the necessity to rethink and re-examine the visual presentation of epics.