Gesar
Photographer Wu Hao takes us to the epic story of King Gesar, who restored peace in the Tibetan China. The project is a link between the myth and today’s reality, questioning the narratives of the past and the present in the provinces of Qinghai and Sichuan in China.
Words & Photography Wu Hao
“Epic of King Gesar” is the most well-known Tibetan epic in China. It narrates the story of King Gesar, a half-human, half deity who fought and won a war against evil, to finally restore peace back to his homeland. The Epic was inspired from ancient legends, poetry, songs, myths and proverbs and the story spans three periods of Tibet – from the 10th to the 20th Century, and has been passed down via oral traditions by ballad singers and Tibetan Buddhist Lamas since A.D. 11th Century. It has been described as an ‘encyclopedia’ of social, political and historical changes, alongside the social structure, daily life, customs and religion of the people who have inhabited in Tibetan plateau area.
Since 2017, I traced clues and metaphors from the ancient epic to direct travels to many locations and historical sites in modern day Qinghai and Sichuan provinces in China, to explore boundaries between the historical geographies and conditions of the surreal mythology with today’s realities. The project, titled Gesar, aims to document the spiritual and complex socio-political landscape of the modern Tibetan ethnic group in west China.
“The story of King Gesar, a half-human, half deity who fought and won a war against evil, to finally restore peace.”
If the epic is the narrative of ancient Tibetan world, what is the narrative of the current era and generation? The work investigates the transformation of ethnic identity, lifestyle and religious beliefs of the local people against the cultural background of their ancestry and social heritage. It also examines what remains or lost for people who live in this territory under intense social transition and modernisation.
“The project aims to document the spiritual and complex socio-political landscape of the modern Tibetan ethnic group in west China.”
About Wu Hao
Wu Hao is an independent documentary photographer and filmmaker born in Nanning, China. He currently base in Beijing. He focus on people’s way of living by the fast changing society and their dilemma during social transition. His works have been published and exhibited internationally.
To see more of his work, follow him on Instagram
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