Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, watched a show of the Kirgiz ethnic minority epic Manas at the Museum of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday morning.

Xi also talked with the performers of the Manas, which has been inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage.

Xi said the extensive and profound Chinese civilization is composed of outstanding cultures of various ethnic groups.

A cultural heritage like the Manas is a treasure of both the ethnic minority and the Chinese nation, Xi said, urging better preservation and promotion efforts.