Growing up on the vast grasslands of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tunggurung was raised on the powerful chants of the Epic of Jangar, a traditional epic poem that is one of the three great heroic epic poems of China's ethnic minorities. Inspired by the legends she heard as a child, she has devoted herself to preserving and promoting this ancient epic -- which has been passed down orally through generations.
Driven by a deep love for her homeland's culture, Tunggurung has traveled across the Tianshan Mountains, searching for folk artists who still perform fragments of the epic poem in song.
Like stringing together scattered pearls, she has collected and documented their performances, helping preserve and promote a tradition which is at risk of fading into obscurity.
"I grew up listening to the Epic of Jangar in Mongolian yurts. After graduating from university, I wanted to dedicate myself to promoting this cultural treasure. At first, I thought anime might be the best way to make it appealing to young people like us. But I soon found that approach simply wasn't working. So I returned to my homeland, traveled to every place where the Epic of Jangar is still sung, and listened to countless versions of it. It was then that I realized: the true carriers of the Epic of Jangar are the folk artists. They are like pearls scattered across the grassland, and I became the one who gathers them. One by one, I pick them up, string them together, and weave them into a chain for all to see. And they are truly beautiful," she said.
When facing setbacks, Tunggurung turns to a line from the poem for motivation.
"I felt like I was crossing a river on a dilapidated, swaying suspension bridge, unable to see the path ahead clearly. At that critical moment, I recalled a powerful line from the epic: 'What is broken is but a bone, what is shed is but a bowl of blood.' Remembering those words gave me a kind of transcendent courage. It was with that strength that I took the first step and carried the Epic of Jangar forward into the world," she said.
Through her unremitting efforts, the Epic of Jangar has been performed at different cultural festivals across China, and it has even been performed abroad, introducing more people to the poem.
"The performance style of the Epic of Jangar epic has been attracting more and more young people. The reason I wanted to step beyond my home to spread it is simple: if you won't come to learn about my culture, then I'll go out and perform it for you to see -- that's the mindset," she said.
This determination to bring the story directly to new audiences has not only expanded its reach but also deepened Tunggurung's sense of mission. It reflects her vision of cultivating an environment where the Epic of Jangar can thrive for generations, much like the enduring natural beauty and resources of the land that inspired it.
"In the tradition of the epic, the Epic of Jangar portrays the ideal of a beautiful and pure homeland. Everything I do now is also aimed at building a healthier, more vibrant 'ecosystem' for the future transmission of the Epic of Jangar. Bayanbulak means 'rich spring' in Mongolian. It is my hope that the epic, like these abundant waters, will be passed down continuously from generation to generation, flowing ever onward and renewing the legend of the Epic of Jangar," she noted.
Young woman revives Mongolian epic poem to promote culture worldwide
