TheMK sport "Abay Poetry Recitation" event was held at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China on August 9 to commemorate Abay Qunanbayev, a great poet, philosopher, statesman, and founder of modern Kazakh literature. 

Student representatives recite Qunanbayev's poems in Kazakh and Chinese. Photo: Courtesy of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China

In his speech, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Shakhrat Nuryshev highlighted Qunanbayev's historical significance to the Kazakh people lies in his important cultural heritage and instructions to the next generation. The ambassador explained the poet's philosophical thoughts to the audience by reciting Qunanbayev's poems.

Qunanbayev was not only a poet, but also a learned thinker and outstanding genius, who laid the foundations of Kazakh written literature in the second half of the 19th century and introduced new and unprecedented poetic forms to Kazakh poetry, the ambassador introduced.

Today, Qunanbayev's creative legacy has become an integral part of world culture, and his wise personality has found a place among the great philosophers respected around the world.

As a guest, Liu Jiangping, deputy director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of European-Central Asian Affairs, gave a speech, recalling that in September 2013, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's address at the Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, Xi quoted the great Kazakh poet and philosopher Qunanbayev who noted, "The world is like an ocean and our time is like strong wind. Waves in the front are the cider brother while those behind are the younger brother. Driven by wind, the waves from behind constantly press on those in the front. This has been the case since ancient times." 

During the event, student representatives recited Qunanbayev's poems in Kazakh and Chinese, and artists from the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra affiliated with the Beijing Chinese Orchestra played Abay's songs using traditional Kazakh and Chinese national instruments.

Born on August 10, 1845, Qunanbayev is considered one of Kazakhstan's most important poets who played a central role in the development of Kazakh as a legitimate written language.

Participating in the annual "Abay Poetry Recitation" event has become a fine tradition for lovers of literature, art, and artistic calligraphy in Beijing.