Mandoulai
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Mandoulai, Male, Mongolian, from Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Jangar (Ⅰ-26). The tradition is documented in Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Jangar in Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang: The Jangar is a Mongol heroic epic, circulating mainly among the Mongol communities of the Altai mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. In China the Altai mountain area and the Ili river valley in northern Xinjiang and Alxa and Bayannur in Inner Mongolia are all important areas of the Jangar's circulation, and the various regions have formed distinctive singing forms such as accompanied chanting and unaccompanied singing. Most scholars hold that the Jangar first arose among the Oirat Mongol tribes of China and, with the migrations of the various Oirat Mongol tribes in the seventeenth century, also spread among the Mongols of Russia and Mongolia, becoming a great epic across national borders. Since the 1980s China has begun large-scale collection and recording of the Jangar, and to date versions in several languages both within and outside the country have been published, with wide influence. The Jangar is named together with the Manas and the Gesar as the three great heroic epics of China; in 2006 it was approved by the State Council for inclusion in the first list of national intangible cultural heritage and is an outstanding representative of Mongol folk literature. The epic was long transmitted among the Oirat Mongol tribes by word of mouth and is still sung in various forms among the Mongol people of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and elsewhere.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Mandoulai is anchored in the documented technical standards of Jangar in Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang. Within the documented technical tradition of Jangar in Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang: The Jangar had a long process of formation and development, spreading mainly by oral transmission, though manuscript and block-printed copies also exist. It is still sung among the Mongols today. Some famous folk artists have already died, and those still living are advanced in years, facing the danger that the song dies with the man. Taking Bomba, the ideal homeland, as its core image, the epic shapes the heroic group-portrait of Jangar and his twelve lion generals; its language is splendid and its rhythm resonant, and it makes great use of such devices as elaboration, exaggeration, metaphor, alliteration and end-rhyme, combining the strengths of narrative and lyric and embodying the distinctive character and aesthetic taste of the Mongol nation. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The Opening Poem": The general opening poem of the various parts of the Jangar. "The Defence of Bomba": The core of the story in which Jangar leads the twelve generals and six thousand warriors to defend Bomba. "Jangarchi": The name for the folk artists who sing the Jangar. "Accompanied Chanting and Unaccompanied Singing": The two forms of performing the Jangar.
The Opening Poem
The general opening poem of the various parts of the Jangar.
The Defence of Bomba
The core of the story in which Jangar leads the twelve generals and six thousand warriors to defend Bomba.
Jangarchi
The name for the folk artists who sing the Jangar.
Accompanied Chanting and Unaccompanied Singing
The two forms of performing the Jangar.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Mandoulai was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Jangar, with Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Jangar in Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang as its declared area, and Xinjiangbayinguolengmengguzizhi Prefecture Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Most scholars hold that the Jangar first arose among the Oirat Mongol tribes of China and, with the migrations of the various Oirat Mongol tribes in the seventeenth century, also spread among the Mongols of Russia and Mongolia, becoming a great epic across national borders. Since the 1980s China has begun large-scale collection and recording of the Jangar, and to date versions in several languages both within and outside the country have been published, with wide influence. The Jangar is named together with the Manas and the Gesar as the three great heroic epics of China; in 2006 it was approved by the State Council for inclusion in the first list of national intangible cultural heritage and is an outstanding representative of Mongol folk literature. The epic was long transmitted among the Oirat Mongol tribes by word of mouth and is still sung in various forms among the Mongol people of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and elsewhere.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jia Zhunai | Hebukesaiermengguzizhi, Xinjiang | 01-0021 | Other regional school |
| Lirifu | Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang; Wenlianminjianwenyijiaxiehui, Xinjiang | 01-0022 | Other regional school |
| Xiariniman | Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang; Wenlianminjianwenyijiaxiehui, Xinjiang | 01-0023 | Other regional school |
| Bada | Boertalamengguzizhi, Xinjiang | 04-1493 | Other regional school |
| Mandoulai | Bayinguolengmengguzizhi, Xinjiang | — | This page |
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。