Meige, the living epic of Yi ethnic group

Meige, is the ballad of Yi people living in central Yunnan’s Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture. In the Yi language, Meige literally means “singing the histroy”. It is regarded as the “creation epic” and “encyclopedia” of Yi people.

Though Meige plays an important role in preserving the cultural identity of Yi people, there is no written record about it. It is passed down through generations by singing and oral teaching. 

In 2008, in order to protect this precious form of ethnic culture, the State Council of China listed Meige into the second batch of national intangible cultural heritages. Nowadays, Meige is performed by four groups of singers at different ages, namely the elders, the mid-aged, the youth and the kids.