Han storyteller begins new chapter of Tibetan epic

Adapted for Han ears

Adapting King Gesar was no easy task, Zhang said, and the biggest challenge was the different cultural understanding of literary tropes.

While no Tibetan has ever questioned how it could be possible that Gesar's half brother, the unbeatable Chatsa, is killed by a single arrow, many of Zhang's listeners would not have accepted a plot hole like this.

"How can an invincible hero die such a humiliating death?" Zhang said. As many of his target audience would object to such an easy murder, this had to be changed.

Zhang's adaption is based on a shortened Chinese version of the epic compiled by Gyanpian Gyamco. Although the Tibetan scholar was open to changes to the narrative to make it "listener friendly," he said that the essence of the story should not be ruined.

It was agreed that Chatsa had to die, Zhang explained, or Gyanpian Gyamco would not agree. So a new scenario was created that would be accepted by the listener, as well as Zhang and Gyanpian Gyamco

The discourse styles of Mandarin and Tibetan are different. The pingshu style, for example, goes into a lot of detail about the appearance of a character when they are first introduced.

When Gesar sees his uncle Zhaotoin for the first time, Zhang uses very typical Han expressions to project a cunning and insidious image: a man with a hawk nose, triangle eyes and goat's beard. These descriptions are absent from Gyanpian Gyamco's adaption.

Zhang had not even heard of the Gesar epic tradition before he began this project and is aware that his adaption strays from the original narrative. This said, Gyanpian Gyamco endorsed Zhang's adaption.

"It is difficult to tell a Tibetan story to those who have no understanding of our culture. The listeners of this story are not Tibetans, and this was Zhang's greatest challenge. I think he has done really well to find the right balance," Gyanpian Gyamco said.

This really goes to the heart of what Zhang had set out to do: he was not motivated by wanting to create an academic resource or quoting the story verbatim.

"My adaption was made to inspire non-Tibetan speakers to listen to this classic epic. That's what I want."

Zhang has been encouraged by Song Dequan, the director of the Chinese Folk Art Association. Song was especially impressed that Zhang combined ethnic Tibetan culture with a traditional Han art form.

Song is hopeful that Zhang will master the oral performance of the King Gesar epic. "After all, the new chapter has to be continued," he said.