In 2008, the Center for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Manas) was established. Manas was inscribed on the first national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
In the long-term, the story has evolved greatly, the connotation and extension of the epic have been expanded. Today, most of the folk artists who are familiar with the epic are from Ahaichi County, Xinjiang, where the epic was first written. The epic has become an important part of the daily life of the local people, along with naan and milk tea.