Research Projects of the Institute of Ethnic Minority Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)

Since its establishment, the Institute of Minority Literature has successively undertaken the research on "Epic Poetry of Minority Groups in China", "Collection, Arrangement and Research of Gesar", "Singing Texts of Gesar", and "Preparation of 'History of Minority Literature of China (Literature Overview) Series'", "Research on the Relationship of Literature of Various Nationalities in China". The Institute of Ethnic Literature has successively undertaken such major national projects as "Research on Chinese Minority Epic", "Collection, Arrangement and Research of Gesar", "Singing Book of Gesar", "Literary History of Ethnic Minorities in China (Literary Profile) Series", "Research on the Relationship of Literature of Various Ethnic Groups in China", etc. The Institute has made significant contributions to the study of Chinese minority epics, Chinese literature, and Chinese literature. The Institute is in a leading position in China in the study of Chinese minority epics, the history of the relationship between the literatures of the various ethnic groups in China, the literature of the scriptures of the Chinese minority groups, as well as the classical Chinese literature of some of the minority groups, and has a greater influence in the international academic circles. In addition, it has made remarkable achievements in the research of minority folklore, oral tradition and folk culture. The researchers of the institute have long insisted on going deep into the ethnic areas to carry out field work, and grasp the first-hand materials needed for scientific research by participating in observation, transcription, interviews, questionnaire surveys and other methods. During years of field practice, the researchers have accumulated rich ethnographic data and collected different forms and carriers of ethnic literature texts, laying a foundation for the basic research and theoretical exploration of the discipline. The institute is actively building the "China Minority Literature Research Database", "China Minority Literature Database", "China Minority Literature Network", "China Minority Oral Tradition Field Research Base", etc.

The Chinese Minority Literature Society (1979), the Chinese Mongolian Literature Society (1989), the Chinese Uyghur Historical and Cultural Research Society (1996), the Office of the National Leading Group for the Work of Gesar, the Chinese Minority Women's Literature Exchange Center, the Chinese Minority Shamanism Research Center, and the Research Center for the Study of Oral Traditions are all located in the Institute.