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

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 for both the ethnic minority and the Chinese nation, Xi said, urging better preservation and promotion efforts.