Nilah: The Home of Epic Geser

Abstract

The Geser studies in Nilah County commenced in 2006, coinciding with the initiation of the nationwide registration of intangible cultural heritages. In those years, facing the imminent closure of the Mongol school and the displacement of ethnic Mongol teachers to the Chinese school, I transitioned to a position at the Bureau of Letters and Visits in the County. One day, Mandarva, a researcher at the Institute of Folk Literature in Urumchi, contacted me, seeking assistance in locating esteemed elders who had provided interviews about Geser Bogda Khan to scholars in the 1980s. Following the clues and names provided, after several days of tracing the information of these elders and discovering that two of them were still alive, I completed her cultural heritage inheritor application sheets, leading to these two elders becoming regional and the national heirs of the Geser cultural heritage. Upon successfully accomplishing the initial mission related to Geser culture, it became evident that these two elders were the sole Mongolians capable of singing the epic Geser in China. Recognizing the significance of their role, they were rightfully designated as national and regional heirs in this domain. Encouraged by Mandarva, I continued to advocate for Geser culture, actively seeking and training new individuals, ultimately assembling a group of more than twenty enthusiasts after several years of persistent efforts. Observing the growth of our Geser groups, I have actively participated in academic conferences, garnering scholars’ interest in Geser and presenting future possibilities for Nilah County. When scholars inquire about the sudden emergence of numerous Geser singers in Nilah County, I consistently emphasize that Geser is just one of the many cultural heritages, encompassing Jangar, folk stories, and heroic epics. Scholars from across the country express astonishment at the presence of over twenty Geser singers in Nilah County, challenging the earlier prediction that there wouldn’t be a single Geser singer in Xinjiang. Beyond the academic circles, the attention towards Geser culture was reignited after the Inner Mongolian Television group visited Ili, producing a series of shows on Geser culture in Nilah County. In 2013, our group received support from the Institute of Rare Book Storage and Geser Study Centre in Inner Mongolia, leading to the establishment of our Geser Study Centre in Nilah County following several Geser study conferences. Despite facing challenges in the current Xinjiang policy, which predominantly focuses on security and poverty alleviation, neglecting cultural elements, we persisted in our efforts. While official endeavours encountered obstacles in many ways, we continued our work among ordinary Ööld groups, establishing a WeChat group and utilising social media platforms to support elders in teaching Geser to young generations. This culminated in gathering for practice and performance, ultimately resulting in the creation of our Geser association based on four Mongolian Sums of Nilah County: Nilahin Gol Sum, Hujirtai Sum, Khökhhotgur Sum, and Uliyastai Sum. Having established this cultural association and the WeChat social media platform, we rapidly expanded our team through competition among the four Sums, uncovering many individuals who were once too shy to sing Geser. Encouraged by other’s performance on WeChat, these hidden talents gradually emerged among very ordinary herders. Simultaneously, we published a Geser book as an internal reference handbook for members, featuring the best singers to perform continuously, leading to a membership exceeding 100 within a year. With the growth of our membership, we implemented a new standard for new entrants, requiring them to be familiar with at least one chapter before applying. Members are expected to maintain an active presence in the community and fulfil designated roles upon enrolment, without dropping out. This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, we opted to continue online competition among representatives from each Sum, leading the entire WeChat group for a week before handing it over to the next group from another Sum. This approach fosters a sense of Sum identity, emphasizing not only knowledge of chapters but also singing style, encouragement, and more. In the future, we anticipate organizing a county-level Geser performance competition after the Covid restrictions are lifted. Another noteworthy Geser element is the “Geser Bogda” drama organised and performed by local Öölds. During their winter leisure hours at home, herders voluntarily acquired specific drama role attire and practised Geser Bogda for the first time in China. Despite their passion, herders soon faced challenges due to their limited awareness and skills in performance. Therefore, we are considering applying for support from the local government or the Academy of Social Science of Beijing in the coming years to fulfil herder’s wishes. The “Nilah Spirit” initiative in Nilah County offers promising possibilities to incorporate our Geser spirit in the future. Within the Ööld community in Nilah, twelve distinct melodies stand out, setting them apart from other Oiratian groups in Xinjiang. I propose these melodies may have been inherited from the Jungar Khanate period. Much like encountering other ethnic music or instruments with significant historical backgrounds, Ööld’s twelve melodies of Tobshur likely have a historical connection to the court music of the Jungar Khanate. This hypothesis gains support from practices among Öölds, where elders consistently limit their Tobshur instrument performance to these twelve melodies, emphasizing that the dance and authentic performance should extend beyond this set number. Elders also assert that royal or court music and dance comprised precisely twelve melodies with designated dance movements. Considering the heyday of 200 years of the Jungar Khanate, it is plausible that court music, court dance, and other court arts existed alongside Tod Mongolian scripture and the spread of Buddhism within the Khanate.