Exploring the Translation and Dissemination Pathways of King Gesar in the Digital-Intelligence Era

Abstract

The digital-intelligence era is witnessing profound transformations in the narrative and dissemination paradigms of the humanities. This paper examines the international translation and introduction of China's ethnic epic, King Gesar, exploring how cutting-edge technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and digital humanities can be leveraged to pioneer new pathways for effectively communicating the stories within Chinese ethnic classics. Traditional, text-centric, and linear approaches to translation and dissemination now face challenges related to limited audiences and insufficient communicative efficacy. Consequently, it is imperative to construct a new paradigm for the translation and dissemination of King Gesar. Through a qualitative, literature-based conceptual analysis, this study identifies four key limitations of traditional approaches and proposes a corresponding four-dimension framework for digital-intelligence era pathways. The key findings reveal that transitioning from static text to dynamic context, from isolated products to open platforms, and from one-way broadcasting to bidirectional dialogue can fundamentally enhance the epic's global reach and cultural resonance. This paper systematically elaborates on potential pathways for transitioning this epic from a “national treasure” to a “world classic” from four key dimensions: the construction of multimodal narratives, AI-assisted translation, the development of digital archives and immersive experiences, and targeted international communication strategies. The aim is to provide theoretical insights and practical references for the global dissemination of Chinese stories in the digital-intelligence era.