Carved stone characters of world's longest epic discovered in SW China

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 ◆ Carved stone characters of world's longest epic discovered in SW China

Nearly 1,000 carved stone characters of the Tibetan epic "King Gesser", the longest epic in the world, have been discovered in Danba County, in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

More than 100 stone figures, of various sizes, were found at the Jinlong (golden fish) Temple in Mosika Village of Dandong Township, in Danba County, mostly featuring scenes of horse-riding,archery and fighting on the battle field.

Professor Yang Jiaming, an expert in the study of Tibetology, called them "living characters of King Gesser".

According to Yang, the stone figures were carved more than 200 years ago, using local flagstones. Skillful indigenous craftsmen carved Gesser's characters into different postures according to the shape and size of flagstones, using different techniques such as incised inscription and relief.

An official with the Danba County culture and tourism bureau said Danba had long been held sacred in areas inhabited by Tibetans, and within Danba County, there were many of Gesser's fingerprints, ruins of the camp of Gesser's uncle and other ruins relating to the Tibetan hero.

Danban also has many folk artists who recite and sing the epic,"King Gesser", and perform the epic on stage.

Experts say these stone carvings not only enrich the research on Gesser and ancient Tibetan paintings, but also provide material evidence for the study of the development of Tibetan culture and the nomadic economy and culture in the area.
Known as the oriental Iliad, after the Greek epic poem by Homer in the eighth century B.C., "King Gesser" is the longest epic in the world and dates from about 1,000 years ago.