Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty composed a hymn of praise for her travels to Tibet and her relatives, and devoted her life to maintaining the peaceful relations between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet, which has gone down in history.
Songzan Gampo was 8 years older than Princess Wencheng, and Songzan Gampo died of illness at the age of 34, and Princess Wencheng did not die until 30 years later, but people wonder why Princess Wencheng lived for 30 years but did not return to the Tang Dynasty.
Songtsen Gampo was the thirty-third Zampu of Tibet, who inherited his father's throne at the age of 12 in a troubled world. After that, he exerted extraordinary talents to make Tibet more and more powerful and dominate the entire western region.
Later, Songzan Gampo sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to request peace, but both courtships were rejected by Tang Taizong. In 636, Songzan Gampo defeated the Tang vassal state of Tuguhun and then took advantage of the victory to attack Songzhou in Sichuan, the Tang territory. Unfortunately, he was defeated by The Tang Pioneer Niu Jinda.
Four years later, in 640 AD, Songtsen Gampo asked the Tang Dynasty for the third time for a monk's kiss. Although the territory of the Tang Dynasty at that time was vast, but the disturbances from all sides did not stop, Tang Taizong did not want to be an enemy of the powerful Tubo again, so he agreed to his "Shangqin" request and married princess Wencheng, the daughter of the emperor, to Songzan Gampo.
According to legend, Wen Chenggong was the daughter of Li Daozong, the King of Jiangxia, and although she was not a "royal direct" princess, she also belonged to Miss Qianjin of a "rich and noble family".
Songtsen Gampo attached great importance to marriage, and he left Luoji (present-day Lhasa) and went to Baihai (in present-day Qinghai) to greet his relatives, and to send his relatives to Li Daozong.
Before Princess Wencheng got married, Songtsen Gampo had five women around her, the most honorable of whom was Princess Nebradha. However, after Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, Songtsen Gampo reached the point of honor and favor, and the Tibetan "Feast of the Sages" recorded: "Songtsen Gampo ascended to the throne of celebration and crowned Princess Wencheng as queen."
In addition, Songtsen Gampo also built the Potala Palace for Princess Wencheng, and there are still two cave house ruins left in the Potala Palace for tourists to visit.
Princess Wencheng also brought "rich dowry", and the history books record that Tang Taizong gave her the title of Princess Wencheng and gave her a large amount of gold and silver jewelry, skilled craftsmen and other generous dowries to increase her value. In addition, there were also a group of Tang Dynasty scribes who entered Tibet with Princess Wencheng. Before Princess Wencheng came to Tubo, the rule of loose cadres in Tubo was in a primitive state, and after Princess Wencheng came to Tubo, the team of literati she led helped sort out a large number of documents in Tubo, and recorded important conversations between Songzan Gampo and the ministers, so that the politics of Tubo moved from primitive to regularized.
After marriage, Princess Wencheng, with the support of her husband, not only vigorously promoted the improvement of the relationship between Datang and Tubo, but also vigorously promoted Datang culture to change the backward cultural customs of Tubo, which won widespread support from the Tubo people.
In 650 AD, at the age of 34, Songtsen Gampo died of a sudden illness. Due to the early death of his only son, Gongsong Gongzan, he had to be succeeded by his grandson Mangsong Mangzan as Tubo Zangpu.
Before Princess Wencheng was born, because she brought to the local people technical skills such as farming, weaving, female red, medicine, farming, etc., which greatly improved the production and living standards of the Tubo people, she was deeply loved by the people, and the Tubo people affectionately called her "White Tara", that is, to increase her life and save the Buddha Mother, which is the embodiment of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The Tang Laws and Regulations stipulate that women may remarry at the end of their period of filial piety. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty at that time, after the death of the husband, the wife could remarry, and it was also encouraged by the imperial court.
However, because Princess Wencheng was married by the emperor and had a special status, her parents did not dare to take their daughters home privately. In 669, Emperor Gaozong of Tang, seeing that Princess Wencheng had not returned, was worried that the royal woman would endure grievances outside, so he sent Shangkai to Tufan to welcome Princess Wencheng back to Chang'an to raise herself.
After Shang Kai gave Princess Wencheng a courtesy, Princess Wencheng refused. In order for the people of Tubo and Datang to live and work in peace and contentment and enjoy peace forever, she decided to stay.
At the same time, Princess Wencheng also promoted Buddhism in Tibet.
Before Princess Wencheng married Songtsan Gampo, Songtsan Gampo had earlier married Nepal's Princess Ruzun as a concubine, and the Then Princess Ruzun brought an immovable Vajra Buddha statue, the eight-year-old statue of Shakyamuni, which was placed in the Jokhang Temple by Songtsen Gampo. Later, the statue of Shakyamuni Shakyamuni, who was twelve years old, carried by Princess Wencheng into Tibet, was enshrined in the Jokhang Temple.
According to historical records, after Songtsen Gampo died of illness, Princess Wencheng believed that the two Buddha statues were not properly placed and should be enshrined according to the size of the golden statues of Shakyamuni and other figures, and should be exchanged.
In 680, 39 years after Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, she died at the age of 55 due to smallpox. Soon, the sons and daughters of the ministers Nagyibu, Tunmi Sangbuzha, and Gar Dongzan, in accordance with the will of Princess Wencheng of Han, held a special settlement ceremony: the "eight-year-old statue of Princess Shakun" of Princess Ruzun was moved to the Jokhang Temple, and the "twelve-year-old statue of Princess Wencheng" was enshrined in the Jokhang Temple.
According to the "Biography of the High Monk Seeking the Dharma in the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty", during the Zhenguan period and the Gaozong Xianqing period, Master Xuanzhao of Taizhou passed through Tubo twice, and Princess Wencheng hui received the monks. It can be seen that Princess Wencheng is likely to be one of the leaders of Tibetan religious affairs and has a strong influence.
After Princess Wencheng died of illness, Tubo built her the "Princess Saga Temple", and for more than 1300 years, incense has been burning continuously in all seasons. According to the "Dunhuang Ben Tubo Historical Documents", in the year of the sheep (683 AD), in the winter, the sacrifice of Princess Zanmeng Wencheng was sacrificed.
After death, only Princess Wencheng could receive such courtesy.