Proverbs
01 · Historical Records
Research holds that there are documentary records of Kazakh proverbs from the eleventh century onward.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Tekes county in Ili is one of the representative areas of the circulation and use of Kazakh proverbs. The Kazakh proverbs have a long origin and a clear thread; their extension covers not only proverbs but also such literary forms as idioms and two-part allegorical sayings. The Kazakh proverbs have formed their own style in content and manner, with such features as highly refined language, short and concise form, vivid description, ingenious rhetoric, varied structural form, brisk rhythm and profound and thought-provoking meaning. The Kazakh proverbs are the crystallisation of Kazakh wisdom and precious spiritual wealth; from astronomy above and human affairs in the middle down to geography and the natural world and the laws of experience in every aspect of society there is generally a corresponding Kazakh proverb to reflect them.
Political Proverbs
One of the four aspects of Kazakh proverbs, with a clear political character and advanced thought.
Labour Proverbs
One of the four aspects of Kazakh proverbs, vividly explaining the importance of practice.
Moral Proverbs
One of the four aspects of Kazakh proverbs, embodying a constraint on conduct.
Scientific Proverbs
One of the four aspects of Kazakh proverbs, with scientific guidance.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Kazakh proverbs are a concise form of folk literature orally created by the Kazakh people in long production, labour and life practice; they are distributed mainly in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang and also in the Kazakh-dwelling places of Altay, Tacheng, Bortala, Changji, Hami and Aksai in Gansu. By content the Kazakh proverbs may be divided roughly into four aspects: political proverbs, such as the stars in the sky cannot be counted nor Chairman Mao's kindness sung to the end, with a clear political character and advanced thought; labour proverbs, such as roll up your sleeves and work and difficulties will hide aside, vividly explaining the importance of practice; moral proverbs, such as he who steals another's livestock eats his own conscience, embodying a constraint on conduct; and scientific proverbs, such as when heaven rains the earth benefits and when grass flourishes the livestock gain, with scientific guidance.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Proverbs · Proverbs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The departments concerned and researchers have collected, collated, translated and published more than ten works such as the Kazakh Proverb Volume of the Three Great Collections of Chinese Folk Literature and more than fifty research papers, and the representative transmitter Huwan Narenbai has a manuscript of more than two hundred pages. At present the project is transmitted mainly by word of mouth and heart-to-heart teaching, lectures and training and activities of popularisation, with a fairly wide transmitting base. Tekes county has taken a series of protective measures, such as building a base for the education and popularisation of Kazakh proverbs, holding seminars, speeches and calligraphy competitions and regularly carrying out the six-entries activity of Kazakh proverbs into scenic areas, campuses and offices, actively advancing the transmission and development of the project. The Kazakh proverbs hold a naive dialectical materialism and sparkle with the true, the good and the beautiful, with historical, cultural and social value not to be ignored.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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