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Princess Wencheng: A Famous Queen in Tibetan History
Princess Wencheng is famous for her peace-making marriage to Songtsen Gambo, the king of the Tubo Kingdom (now Tibet).
In fact, she was much more than a bride in a political marriage, but a true cultural emissary. By bringing many agricultural, scientific, and cultural advances of the Tang Dynasty to Tibet, she contributed a lot to the development of Tibetan people’s livelihood, and was praised and commemorated by Tibetan people.
Here, you’ll get an overview of this legendary woman in Tibetan history and see why Tibetan people admire this princess of the Han so much.
What’s Happened Before Princess Wencheng Married Songtsen Gambo?
The Process of the Peace-making Marriage
How Does Princess Wencheng Contribute to the Development of Buddhism in Tibet?
What Did Princess Wencheng Do to Develop People’s Livelihood in Tibet?
How Do People Evaluate Princess Wencheng
Where Can You Find Memorials to Princess Wencheng in Tibet？
Princess Wencheng Real-Scene Musical: A Spectacular Journey Back to Her Legendary Story
What’s Happened Before Princess Wencheng Married Songtsen Gambo?
Born into a branch of the royal clan of the Tang Dynasty during its golden era, Princess Wencheng was nurtured in the imperial court and received a good education in Confucian classics, poetry, literature, art, music, and Buddhism.
She was intelligent, brave, and sympathetic. Although there’s no historical record about the date of her birth and her family, it’s thought that Princess Wencheng was the daughter of Li Daozong, a military officer and cousin of the Emperor Tang Taizong.
The period of Tang Taizong’s reign in Chinese history was a golden era, during which the Tang served as the civilization center of East Asia, and neighboring nations would send tribute to the Tang to seek close ties with the Tang or seek military help.
In 634, Songtsen Gambo, the king who founded the Tubo Kingdom, sent a tributary envoy to the capital of the Tang. Knowing that both Turks and Tuyuhun had marriage alliances with the Tang, in 638, Songtsen Gambo proposed marriage too. Rejected by the Tang, Songtsen Gambo attacked Songzhou and withdrew after the Tang counterattacked.
However, Songtsen Gambo’s actions were strongly opposed by both the Han people and the Tubo people. So he sent an envoy to the Tang to apologize and made a marriage proposal again. To prevent further attacks, the Tang agreed to marry a princess to Songtsen Gambo. In 641, the young woman was granted the title of Princess Wencheng and left for Tibet.
Statue of Princess WenchengThe Process of the Peace-making Marriage
In 641, escorted by Li Daozong and a ceremonial staff, Princess Wencheng left for Tibet from Chang’an (now Xi'an in Shaanxi Province). Songtsen Gambo led his army to Baihai (now in Qinghai Province) to welcome Princess Wencheng and took her back to Lhasa.
It was said that when she arrived in the Red Ridge (Chiling), the boundary between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo, she made a short stop there. She looked at the Sun and Moon Mirror given by the Tang Emperor and saw a vision of her family in Chang'an. The princess was so sad that she smashed the mirror. Hence, the mountain was then called Riyue Mountain (Sun and Moon Mountain).
Her tears of homesickness merged into a river named Daotang River, which flowed from east to west and represented her endless thoughts of her family.
Princess Wencheng was much more than a bride in a political marriage, she was a true cultural emissary.
After arriving in Tibet, Princess Wencheng spent the rest of her life contributing to cultural dissemination.
She brought advanced technology and knowledge from the Tang Dynasty to Tibet, which promoted its development there. For example, she took Buddha statues, Buddhist scriptures, medical books and methods, crop seeds, and artisans to Tibet, contributing to the promotion of technology, cultural exchange between the two regions, and the spread of Buddhism in Tibet.
Princess Wencheng from Tang Dynasty to Tubo via Riyue Mountain.
Book our 4-day Lhasa tour to discover Princess Wencheng’s legacy, Tibetan Buddhism, and the cultural treasures of Tibet.
How Does Princess Wencheng Contribute to the Development of Buddhism in Tibet?
Princess Wencheng was a devout Buddhist who had planted the seeds of Buddhism in Tibet. When she came to Tibet, she brought a statue of Shakyamuni depicting Buddha at the age of 12, Buddhist scriptures, and miniature stupas, and these were then used to build monasteries.
She helped Songtsen Gambo’s other wife build the Jokhang Temple, and along with Songtsen Gambo, they planted a willow tree in front of the temple, which was later known as the Tang Willow.
Princess Wencheng also oversaw the construction of the Ramoche Temple in order to house the Shakyamuni statue she brought, and named the eight surrounding mountains the Eight Treasures. Later, this statue was moved to the Jokhang Temple and is still enshrined today.
Under the influence of Princess Wencheng, Songtsen Gambo supported the promotion of Buddhism as well. He sent people to India to learn Buddhism and invited monks to translate Buddhist scriptures, such as The Six-Character Great Bright Mantra, Ratnameghasutra, and Samadhiraja Sutra.
Princess Wencheng’s reverence and efforts for Buddhism had contributed to the flourishing of Buddhism, a religion that deeply shaped Tibetan culture in every aspect of life. Thus, she was considered to be the incarnation of the bodhisattva Green Tara and enshrined by the Tibetan people.
Visit Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, a UNESCO site built with Princess Wencheng’s influence, and discover Tibet’s spiritual heart.What Did Princess Wencheng Do to Develop People’s Livelihood in Tibet?
Princess Wencheng brought a wide range of agricultural, scientific, and cultural advances from the Tang Dynasty to Tibet to improve the livelihood of the Tibetan people.
The calendar books brought by Princess Wencheng when she entered Tibet guided the agricultural production in Tibet and played an important role in the development of the Tibetan calendar.
It was said that the artisans brought by Princess Wencheng taught Tibetan people various agricultural techniques, such as planting highland barley, wheat, and peas, using watermills, and raising sheep.
Other techniques from the Tang Dynasty, such as spinning, weaving, pottery making, liquor brewing, papermaking, architecture, and metallurgy were also introduced to the Tibetan people, further contributing to the development of Tibetan handicrafts.
With the vigorous economic and cultural exchange between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty, Tibetan people’s livelihood had been greatly enhanced.
Princess Wencheng is believed to have taught Tibetans the skills of planting highland barley.
Discover golden highland barley fields on the scenic journey from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp in summer.
How Do People Evaluate Princess Wencheng
In 680, Princess Wencheng passed away and was laid to rest in a formal ceremony.
Bridging the Tang Dynasty and Tibet and contributing to the development of Tibetan people’s livelihood, this beloved princess was highly regarded and admired by the Tibetan people.
Princess Wencheng was considered to be a transmitter of technology, a symbol of peace, as well as an ambassador of culture.
Many poets wrote verses to commemorate Princess Wencheng, and her story was transformed into a series of dramatic performances.
There are two dates related to Princess Wencheng: the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Tibetan calendar (the day when Princess Wencheng arrived in Tibet) and the fifteenth day of the tenth month in the Tibetan calendar (the birthday of Princess Wencheng). When the two days come, Tibetan people gather in their best costumes to sing and dance to memorize her.
Where Can You Find Memorials to Princess Wencheng in Tibet?
If you want to find some attractions associated with Princess Wencheng during your Tibet tour, here are a few attractions related to her. These sites include Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Ramoche Temple.
Potala Palace
According to legend, this iconic landmark of Tibet was originally built by Songtsen Gampo for Princess Wencheng. The main architecture of the Potala Palace consists of two parts: the White Palace and the Red Palace. In the White Palace, there’s a mural depicting Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet. In the Red Palace, there is a statue of Princess Wencheng in the Dharma-King Cave.
Jokhang Temple
The life-sized, 12-year-old Shakyamuni life-size statue Princess Wencheng brought is enshrined in the main hall of the Jokhang Temple, and a statue of Princess Wencheng is in another hall of the temple. In front of the temple, there’s a willow, also known as the Tang Willow, planted by her and Songtsen Gambo.
The 12-year-old Shakyamuni life-size statue in Jokhang Temple is a must-see highlight of your Lhasa tour.Ramoche Temple
The Ramoche Temple was built to house the Shakyamuni statue Princess Wencheng brought, but the statue was later moved to Jokhang Temple. It was said that the gate of the Ramoche Temple faced east because of the princess’s homesickness for her family.
Princess Wencheng Real-Scene Musical: A Spectacular Journey Back to Her Legendary Story
The Princess Wencheng real-scene musical is definitely a must-see in Lhasa if you are a cultural explorer, photographer, or big fan of drama and musicals. It’s a huge outdoor live-action cultural performance that truly presents the story of how Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty married Tubo King Songtsen Gambo, through 5 chapters.
With up to 700 performers dressed in traditional Tibetan and Han costumes who vividly display the story of Princess Wencheng in a huge open-air theater, the show provides a great opportunity for you to enjoy a wide spectrum of Tibetan performances, including Arga dance, Guozhuang dance, Tsampa splashing scene, and Tibetan opera singing etc.
The musical is shown from Monday to Sunday, at 21:30. Travel to Tibet with us for easy access to tourist-friendly ticket booking and a convenient transfer service from downtown to the open-air theater!
The Princess Wencheng real-scene musical is a cultural highlight of Lhasa, blending history, dance, and Tibetan tradition .Conclusion
Princess Wencheng introduced numerous scientific, agricultural, and cultural advances from the Tang Dynasty to Tibet, making great contributions to promoting the development of Tibet. She enhanced the cooperative relationship between the Tang and Tibet, continuing to be cherished and admired by Tibetans today.
Travel to Tibet with us, you’ll follow our knowledgeable Tibetan guides to learn more about the legendary life of Wencheng Princess and extraordinary contributions to Tibet.
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