Ailiyasi Gayiti
01 · Lineage & Regional School
He began learning Dolan Meshrep in his teens, is a fifth-generation transmitter, and has now worked in the tradition for more than forty years. Within the regional tradition and school record of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu in Awati, Xinjiang: The Dolan meshrep is popular in the area of Awati County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Awati County lies on the northwestern edge of the Tarim Basin, in the lower reaches of the Yarkand River, where the Aksu River, the Yarkand River and the Hotan River converge; its residents are made up of fifteen ethnic groups, including Uyghurs, Han, Hui and Kazakhs, making it a typical area of concentrated ethnic minority settlement. The Dolan meshrep grew up in this environment of adjacent ethnic groups: the song-and-dance foundation of the native Western Regions culture and the influence of Islamic culture were layered together on the waterside oases, producing a style of gathering that is at once wild and courteous. The name "meshrep" comes from Arabic and originally means "gathering"; after it spread into the Tarim Basin, it was given local names such as Dolan, Kok and Tahe, becoming the self-run tradition of each oasis. This practice appeared early in Awati: the inheritor Eliyas Gayit was born into a meshrep family, watched adults sing and dance in the courtyard from childhood, was brought onto the dance floor as he grew older, and grew into one of the few local artists specializing in improvised dance.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
Male, Uyghur, born in March 1956, a native of Awat County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. He comes from a family long devoted to Dolan Meshrep and, nurtured by his family, is passionately fond of the performing art of Meshrep. He has a relatively complete command of the patterns of Dolan Meshrep dance and is especially skilled at improvisation; he is one of the few dancers among the surviving Dolan Meshrep artists. He grasps the meaning and functions of the art and has strong organisational ability, frequently staging performances at cultural centres, schools and in folk settings to considerable effect. As a member of the Awat County Dolan Muqam Folk Art Troupe he has toured and performed at home and abroad with the troupe many times. He has taken eleven disciples. Within the documented technical tradition of Xinjiang Weiwuerzumaixirefu in Awati, Xinjiang: The word "meshrep" comes from Arabic and means "gathering". Meshrep is centered on dance and recreational activities; participants amuse themselves, and the numbers taking part are large. Meshrep can be divided by performance form into song-and-dance meshrep, game meshrep and speech-and-song meshrep, and by performance content into parlor meshrep, welcome meshrep and harvest meshrep. Every part of Xinjiang has its own meshrep; the forms are broadly similar, and they are given names such as "Dolan", "Kok" and "Tahe", each with its own distinctive features. Awati County is located in the central-western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, on the northwestern edge of the Tarim Basin and in the lower reaches of the Yarkand River; it borders Aksu to the northeast and extends southward deep into the Taklamakan Desert. The Aksu River, the Yarkand River and the Hotan River converge here. The total population is about 219,600, comprising fifteen ethnic groups including Uyghurs, Han, Hui and Kazakhs; it is a typical area of concentrated ethnic minority settlement. Meshrep belongs to the category of song-and-dance art forms; it requires no special stage or costumes, but to hold one, the yigit bexi (host), the mirwaz (master of revels), the naghmi kexi (musicians), the dancers and the comic performers must all be assembled. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "A name meaning gathering": The term comes from an Arabic word meaning gathering; on reaching the Tarim basin it split into local forms such as Dao Lang, Kuoke and Tahe. "Assembling the company for a performance": No stage or costume is needed, but the company must be complete: singers, players, instrumentalist, dancers and the clown. "Parlour, welcome and harvest gatherings": By content, they are held in the parlour, to welcome guests, or after the threshing, each with its own rules of hospitality. "Song-and-dance, games and narration": By form there are song-and-dance, game and narrated gatherings, usually taking turns within a single evening.
A name meaning gathering
The term comes from an Arabic word meaning gathering; on reaching the Tarim basin it split into local forms such as Dao Lang, Kuoke and Tahe.
Assembling the company for a performance
No stage or costume is needed, but the company must be complete: singers, players, instrumentalist, dancers and the clown.
Parlour, welcome and harvest gatherings
By content, they are held in the parlour, to welcome guests, or after the threshing, each with its own rules of hospitality.
Song-and-dance, games and narration
By form there are song-and-dance, game and narrated gatherings, usually taking turns within a single evening.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
National representative bearer of the Xinjiang Uyghur Meshrep (Xinjiang Uyghur Dolan Meshrep), a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Awati County lies on the northwestern edge of the Tarim Basin, in the lower reaches of the Yarkand River, where the Aksu River, the Yarkand River and the Hotan River converge; its residents are made up of fifteen ethnic groups, including Uyghurs, Han, Hui and Kazakhs, making it a typical area of concentrated ethnic minority settlement. The Dolan meshrep grew up in this environment of adjacent ethnic groups: the song-and-dance foundation of the native Western Regions culture and the influence of Islamic culture were layered together on the waterside oases, producing a style of gathering that is at once wild and courteous. The name "meshrep" comes from Arabic and originally means "gathering"; after it spread into the Tarim Basin, it was given local names such as Dolan, Kok and Tahe, becoming the self-run tradition of each oasis. This practice appeared early in Awati: the inheritor Eliyas Gayit was born into a meshrep family, watched adults sing and dance in the courtyard from childhood, was brought onto the dance floor as he grew older, and grew into one of the few local artists specializing in improvised dance.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aili Yibulayin | Akesu, Xinjiang | 04-1966 | Other regional school |
| Talipu Kuwan | Maigaiti, Xinjiang | 05-2989 | Other regional school |
| Ailiyasi Gayiti | Awati, Xinjiang | 05-2990 | This page |
| Kazimuhadeer | Muleihasakezizhi, Xinjiang | — | Other regional school |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。