Princess Wencheng [Photo/Agencies]

Who was Princess Wencheng?

Princess Wencheng (625-680 A.D.), of Han ethnicity, was born into a family that was a distant relative of the Royal Family of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). In 640 A.D., the Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) conferred her with the title of Princess Wencheng.

In 638 A.D., Songtsan Gambo, king of Tubo Kingdom (618-842 A.D.), made a request for marriage. The Emperor Taizong agreed to let Princess Wencheng marry Songtsan Gambo. Thus, Princess Wencheng became the Queen of Tubo Kingdom.

How did she get married?

In 641 A.D., Princess Wencheng and her escorts started out from Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) They passed Xining, climbed over Riyue Mountain and traveled a long way before reaching Lhasa.

Songtsan Gambo headed his ministers to welcome Princess Wencheng at Heyuan. They then went back to Lhasa together.

What about her life after marriage?

Although Princess Wencheng was not the daughter of the emperor, she had a very high position in Tubo. According to ancient books in Tubo, "Songtsan Gambo held the celebrations for the coronation ceremony and awarded Princess Wencheng the title of Queen."

Songtsan Gambo liked the virtuous and versatile Princess Wencheng so much that he ordered that the Potala Palace be especially built for her. The grand Potala Palace had 1,000 rooms and halls, as well as many wall paintings, one of which depicts the many difficulties that Princess Wencheng had overcome on her journey to Tubo and the scene of warm welcome that she received when she had just arrived in Lhasa.

Songtsan Gambo passed away in 650 A.D. After that, Princess Wencheng lived there for another 30 years; she was dedicated to enhancing friendship between the Tang Empire and Tubo.

She loved her Tibetan compatriots, who also loved and supported her very much. Even today, the story of Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo is still popular among the people in the form of plays and folk songs. In Tibetan Buddhism, Princess Wencheng is deemed as the avatar of Green Tara.

In 680 A.D., Princess Wencheng died from smallpox and Tubo held a solemn funeral for her. Her statue, which was built by Tibetans 1,300 years ago in commemoration to her, still stands in Lhasa.

What about the life of Songtsan Gambo after marriage?

The marriage between Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo began a new era of Tang-Tubo friendship. After their marriage, the Tang Empire and Tubo also moved into a honeymoon period that saw frequent exchanges of envoys and merchants between them.

The Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) passed away in 649 A.D. Songtsan Gambo sent his special envoy to Chang’an to show his condolences. He also submitted a statement to his successor, Emperor Gaozong, to express his congratulations and support for the new emperor.

Her dowry

Princess Wencheng was a devout believer in Buddhism. She supervised the construction of the Ramoche Temple in Lhasa and helped the Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti Devi build the Jokhang Temple. The Sakyamuni statue brought by Princess Wencheng from Chang’an to Tubo is still kept in Jokhang Temple, and the Princess Willow in front of Jokhang Temple is said to have been planted by Princess Wencheng herself.

According to the Annals of the Tubo Kingdom, Princess Wencheng’s dowry included the Sakyamuni statue, jewels, gold and a bookshelf made of jade, 360 volumes of scriptures, and various gold and jade accessories. She also brought many cooking skills and ingredients, beverages, silk quilts and cushions with various patterns, 300 kinds of divination classics, 60 building, manufacturing and draftsmanship books, 100 prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine for 404 diseases, four medical books, five diagnostics and six medical devices.

The frequent exchanges of envoys and merchants continued between the Tang Empire and Tubo in the following 200 years and more after the marriage of Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo.

Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo [Photo/Agencies]

Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo [Photo/Agencies]

Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo [Photo/Agencies]

Princess Wencheng [Photo/Agencies]

Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambo [Photo/Agencies]

Princess Wencheng [Photo/Agencies]