Princess Wencheng

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Some 1300 years ago，Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty（618-907）left Chang’an（present-day Xi’an in Shanxi Province）to marry Songtsan gambo，king of the Tubo kingdom，which was located about 3000 km to the west.This pioneered amicable relations between the Tang and the Tubo，and the story of the marriage is still much talked about in areas inhabited by the Han and Tibetan peoples.

In the early 7th century，Songtsan Gambo gain control of the highland area in the west.Beginning in 634，he twice dispatched Gar Tongtsan to Chang’an，where theTubo minister informed the Tang of Songtsan Gambo’s desire for a daughter of the Tang emperor.Tang Emperor Taizong agreed to let Wencheng Marry the Tubo king.

Accompanied by the Tubo minister，Princess Wencheng set out for the farway Tubo Kingdom.This segment of history was later turned into tales which remain an important part of Tibetan folklore.

When the couple moved to Yushu（in present-day Qinghai Province），they were much taken with the local landscapes and pleasant weather，and spent one month in a mountain valley for their honeymoon.Princess Wencheng had carried crop and vegetable seeds to Tibet，and joined her entourage in teaching the local people how to grow crops and vegetables，grind wheat flour and make wine.Seeing that Buddhism which was at its height of influence in Tang areas，had not been spread into the Tubo Kingdom，Princess Wencheng brought out Buddhist pagodas，scriptures and statues of Buddha which she had brought into the Tubo area for construction of monasteries.

Goats were mobilized to carry earth to fill in a pond for the construction of the Jokhang Monastery.Upon complete of the monastery.Princess Wencheng and her husband，Songtsan Gambo，planted willow tree in front of the monastery，which later was dubbed the Tang Willow，as the Uncle-Nephew Alliance Tablet（erected in 823 to mark the alliance between the Tang and the Tubo）was placed next to the tree.

Princess Wencheng also had the Ramoche Monastery built.She named the eight surrouding mountains the Eight Treasures，a name which is still in use today.All these paved the way for the spread of Buddhism into Tubo Kingdom.

While making efforts to propagate Buddhism and pray for blessings for the Tibetans，Princess Wencheng taught them how to grow crops and vegetables.Maize，potatoes，soybeans and rape proved adaptable to the highland enviroment，while wheat mutated into highland barley known in Tibetan as qingke.Princess Wencheng also brought into the Tubo Kingdom carriages，horses，donkeys and camels，as well as medical works and various kinds of farming and industrial techniques.Under her direction，the Tubo Kingdom experienced fast social progress.

Potala Palace

Songtsan Gambo loved Princess Wencheng so much that he had the Potala Palace built for his talented and beautiful wife.The majestic Potala Palace，with 1000 chambers，was partially damaged by thunderbolts and wars.It twice underwent repairs and expansions in the 17th century，reaching its present size，with the 13-story main structure standing 117 meters high and covering a land area of 360000 square meters.Frescos of the Potala Palace record historical events，including Tang Emperor Taizong asking Gar Tongtsan to perform five difficult tasks before acceding to the envoy’s request for his master to marry a Tang princess，the hardships Princess Wencheng endured on way to the Tubo Kingdom，and how warmly she was greeted at Lhasa.The ruins of the Tubo period behind the Potala Palace includes a chamber for Songtsan Gambo to meditate and practice Buddhism.On the four walls of the chamber hang colored statues of Songtsan Gambo，Princess Wencheng and Gar Tongtsan.

Close Relations between

Central Plains and Tibet

After Princess Wencheng married into the Tubo Kingdom，the Central Plains and the Tubo area maintained close relations for more than 200 years，a period almost free from wars and most notable for its varied cultural and commerical exchanges.

Songtsan Gambo unified Tibet，promoted political，economic and cultural development of his Tubo Kingdom，and strengthened ties between Tibet and Central Plains.In so doing he made outstanding contributions to the unification of the Chinese nation.Princess Wencheng，who married into the Tubo Kingdom and worked to promote economic and cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and the Tubo area，left a historic legacy of friendship and cooperation between the Han and the Tibetan peoples.A1l these events have been recorded in history books and lie embedded in the minds of the Han and the Tibetan peoples.