1 More than 300 years ago, Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty left the prosperous capital Chang 'an (now northwest of Xi City, Shaanxi Province) and traveled about 3000 kilometers westward. After thousands of difficulties and dangers, he came to the snowy plateau and married Songzan Gambu, the king of Tubo, creating a new era of friendship between Tang and Fan. The story of Songzan Gampo and Princess Wencheng is still widely circulated among the Han and Tibetan people.
At the beginning of the 7th century, after several years of wars in the Central Plains, Li Yuan () and Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong) established an unprecedented Tang Empire with Chang 'an as its capital in China's history in June18. The country was very powerful and became the center of civilization in East Asia at that time, which had a strong influence on the surrounding ethnic tribes. Many ethnic tribes made peace with the Tang Dynasty or paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty, which promoted the relationship between the Han nationality and the people.
In the eighth year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan reign (634), Songzan Gambo became Tubo (the ancestor of the Tibetans) and Zambu (the king), at the age of thirteen, and relied on Lenkel, Shangbao and other auxiliary ministers to crusade against rebellion and unify Tubo. When the Tang Empire dominated the Central Plains, Songtsan Gampo also dominated the snowy plateau, completed the annexation of some small countries, established Lodi (now Lhasa, Xizang Autonomous Region) as its capital, established a unified Tubo dynasty, and actively sought to establish close relations with the Tang Dynasty. Since 634 AD, he has twice sent Lu Dongzan, an eloquent and brilliant minister, to Chang 'an to ask for relatives and friends from Tang Gaozong. 64 1 yuan, Emperor Taizong finally agreed to Songzan Gambu's request and promised to marry Princess Wencheng, the female imperial clan. So Princess Wencheng, accompanied by Tang Fan envoys and attendants, set foot on the long Tang Fan ancient road. There are many legends about Lu Dongzan's mission to Chang 'an in Tibetan folktales, and the story that he solved a series of difficult problems set by Tang Gaozong with his own intelligence, and finally married a beautiful and kind princess Wencheng for Songzan Gambu.
Songzan Gambu's long-cherished wish has come true, and he is very happy. He personally led his troops to White Sea (now maduo county, Qinghai Province) to meet the enemy. On the banks of Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake, which are not too far from the source of the Yellow River, Songzan Gambu built the "White Sea Pavilion", and an alien couple spent their wedding night in this beautiful place.
When Songzan Gambo and Princess Wencheng went to Yushu (in present-day Qinghai Province), they saw the beautiful scenery and pleasant climate here and needed to rest after a long journey, so they lived in a valley for a month. In her spare time, Princess Wencheng took out the grain seeds and rapeseed that her father gave her, and taught Yushu people planting methods, milling, wine-making and other technologies with craftsmen. Yushu people are very grateful to Princess Wencheng. When the princess wanted to leave and set off for Lhasa, they were all reluctant to part. The local Tibetans also preserved the ruins of her treasurer's office, carved her feet and appearance on stones and worshipped her every year. In 7 10, another princess of the Tang Dynasty, Princess Jincheng, also married the Tibetan king. When passing by, she built a temple for Princess Wencheng and named it "Princess Wencheng Temple".
When Princess Wencheng arrived in Lhasa safely, people sang and danced, cheered and welcomed her.
At that time, Buddhism prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, but there was no Buddhism in Tibet. Princess Wencheng is a devout Buddhist. She took pagodas, scriptures and Buddha statues into Tibet and decided to build a temple to preach Buddha. She asked goats to fill the pond and built Jokhang Temple. After the Jokhang Temple was completed, Princess Wencheng and Songzan Gambu personally planted willows outside the temple gate, which became the famous "Liu Tang" in later generations. The famous "Nephew and Uncle Alliance Monument", also known as "Evergreen Alliance Monument", stands next to Liu Tang. At present, a statue of Sakyamuni enshrined in the center of the Jokhang Temple Hall was also invited by Princess Wencheng from Chang 'an. In the attached halls on both sides of the main hall, there are statues of Songzan Gambo and Princess Wencheng, which are very beautiful and lifelike. It's just that there are too many people who donate money from Imbusch, and a pimple has grown on their faces.
Later, Princess Wencheng built the Xiao Zhao Temple. Since then, Buddhism has spread slowly in Tibet. Princess Wencheng also named the mountains around Lhasa after Miaolian, Baoshan, Youshi Conch, King Kong, Shengli Building, Aquarius and Goldfish, which have been in use ever since.
On the one hand, Princess Wencheng spread Buddhism and prayed for the Tibetans to eliminate disasters. At the same time, she also took out five grain seeds and rapeseed and taught people to plant them. Corn, potatoes, broad beans and rape can adapt to the plateau climate and grow well. Wheat, on the other hand, is constantly mutating and finally grows into highland barley that Tibetans like. Princess Wencheng also brought chariots, horses, mules, camels and related technical and medical works, which promoted the social progress of Tubo.
Songtsan Gambo likes Princess Wencheng very much. The Potala Palace specially built for the princess has 1000 palaces, which is magnificent. But it was later destroyed by lightning and war. /kloc-after two expansions in the 0/7th century, it became the present scale. The main building of Potala Palace 13 floor, with a height of117m, covers an area of more than 360,000 square meters, which is magnificent. There are a large number of murals with rich contents in Potala Palace, including the story of Garudongzan, the emissary of Emperor Taizong's Five Difficult Tubo Marriage, the difficulties and obstacles Princess Wencheng encountered all the way into Tibet, and the scene where she was warmly welcomed when she arrived in Lhasa. These murals have exquisite composition, vivid characters and bright colors. Behind the Tubo ruins of Potala Palace, there is also a room where Songzan Gambu meditates. The walls are displayed with colored statues of Songzan Gambu, Princess Wencheng and Ludongzan.
After Songzan Gambu married Princess Wencheng, the relationship between the Central Plains and Tubo was extremely friendly. After more than 200 years, there were few wars, and envoys and businessmen exchanged frequently. Songzan Gambu highly praised the Central Plains culture. He took off his felt wool and put it on silk, and sent the children of Tubo nobles to Chang 'an to study Chinese studies. In the Tang Dynasty, all kinds of craftsmen were sent to Tubo to teach various skills.
In 649 AD, Emperor Taizong died, and after the new emperor Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, he sent an envoy to China to offer condolences, taking Songzan Gambu as the Xu family and making him the king of Xihai County. Songzan Gambu accepted the official title of the Tang Dynasty gladly, and sent a letter to Stuart Sun Chang Wuji and others, saying, "The son of heaven has just ascended the throne, and if there are disloyal courtiers, he should send troops to conquer this country. At the same time, fifteen kinds of gold, silver and jewels are presented. Please put them in front of Taizong's coffin to express your deep condolences and memory. Tang Gaozong also carved his stone statue and placed it in front of the Zhaoling Tomb of Emperor Taizong to show his praise.
Songzan Gambu's great talent and great achievements have unified Tibet, promoted the political, economic and cultural development of Tubo, strengthened the close relationship between Tibetan and Han people, and made outstanding contributions to the historical development of China, a unified multi-ethnic country. Princess Wencheng, who knows the book and is courteous, did not avoid difficulties and dangers and married Tubo far away, which made a historic contribution to promoting the economic and cultural exchanges between Tang and Tubo and enhancing the close, friendly and cooperative relations between the Chinese and Tibetan peoples.
Today, people often say, "Jokhang Temple comes first, then Lhasa." Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple are two tourist attractions in Lhasa. Jokhang Temple, in particular, is particularly famous for its connection with the legend of Princess Wencheng. Some history and travel brochures even say that Jokhang Temple was built by Princess Wencheng. This is not accurate. Princess Wencheng invested to build Jokhang Temple, but it was someone else who built Jokhang Temple. it's a long story
At that time, under the leadership of Songzan Gambu, the Tubo dynasty was thriving. The young king conquered a large area of land and deterred the small countries around him. For political reasons, the Nepalese king married his daughter Bhrikuti Devi to Songtsan Gambu. In order to show his strength, Tubo proposed to the Tang Dynasty in the East. After several hard and soft treatments, Emperor Taizong finally agreed to marry Princess Wencheng, the imperial clan, into Tubo.
At that time, the base of Tubo was still in Zedang area in Shannan area of Tibet today, but there were also sporadic buildings similar to palaces built on the red hill beside Lhasa River. Songzan Gambo also built a house for Princess Wencheng there. As both princesses believe in Buddhism, Princess Wencheng brought only four statues of Sakyamuni in the world, so Bhrikuti Devi decided to build a temple to worship Sakyamuni at the age of 12. The so-called isosceles statue is a 65,438+02, 25-year-old Buddha statue of the same size, which was built by Sakyamuni Buddha at the request of his disciples after his enlightenment. It is said that it was opened by Sakyamuni himself according to the memory of the Buddha mother. Tibetan calls such a Buddha statue "Jue A" and English is "jowo", so the temple dedicated to "Jue A" is called "Jue Kang" and English is "jokang". China people used to call it Jokhang Temple.
Therefore, Jokhang Temple was built in Bhrikuti Devi to worship Siddhartha Gautama brought by Princess Wencheng from the mainland.
When Jokhang Temple was first built, there were many difficulties. The Tibetan legend is that at that time, the wall could not be built, but it collapsed when it was repaired. When there was no road in Bhrikuti Devi, Princess Wencheng observed the astronomical phenomena and geography, and observed that the Lhasa Valley in Lorca was in the shape of a witch. Only by building the temple in the witch's heart can she be restrained and the temple be built. The princess calculated that one kilometer east of Hongshan is the best place to build a temple, where there are lakes and swamps.
Later historians told us that Jokhang Temple was built and collapsed because of the destruction of religious forces that were fiercely competing with Buddhism at that time. In this case, you can refer to my account of the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet.
Princess Cheng pointed out the direction of building a temple, but she didn't want to follow it because it was related to face. It is difficult to ride a tiger, and Songzan Gambu noticed the subtlety of the matter. One day, Songzan Gambu invited Bhrikuti Devi to go out to play. They rode side by side, joking along the way. When Songzan Gambu asked about the construction of the temple, Bhrikuti Devi was very reluctant.
Songzan Gambu took the princess's hand, took a ring from it and said to the princess, OK, I'll throw the ring into the sky and build a temple where it fell, so let God decide! The clever Bhrikuti Devi also understood the king's pains. As a result, the ring landed in the lake accurately.
Judging from the way Songzan Gambu handled the delicate relationship between his two wives, he was really brilliant, and his decision-making did not hurt his feelings, showing superb leadership skills. Today, Songzan Gampo has become the first Tibetan worshiped by every household in Tibet. In large and small monasteries, the statues of Songzan Gambu are also juxtaposed with religious masters such as Sakyamuni and Zong Kaba. There are many Buddha statues in Tibetan temples, most of which have similar faces. Without explanation, it is difficult for outsiders to tell who is who. However, people can recognize the statue of Songzan Gambu at a glance. It turns out that Songzan Gambu has a head on his head! This was done by people in Xizang to express their admiration for the great wisdom and courage of Songzan Gambu when he painted his portrait. Jokhang Temple has two heads: Songzan Ganbu.
After Princess Wencheng pointed out the address for Jokhang Temple, the huge project of filling the lake and building the temple began. The legend in Tibet is that the soil used to fill the lake was carried by white goats. Today, we all know that yak is a boat on the plateau and a traditional means of transportation in Tibet, but why use goats when building Jokhang Temple? The mysterious explanation is that Princess Wencheng figured it out that if the goat doesn't carry the soil, the soil will never fill the lake. From a historical perspective, it can be inferred that the construction of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa Valley is an important aspect of Songtsan Gampo's political strategy: on the one hand, it is to prepare for moving the capital, so that the Tubo dynasty can get out of the narrow Shannan area, on the other hand, it is to get rid of the shackles of the old aristocratic forces in Shannan. Lhasa Valley is the combination of agricultural civilization and animal husbandry civilization in Tibet. The Tubo Dynasty was a tribe mainly engaged in farming. At that time, Songtsan Gambu had just conquered an animal husbandry tribe named Supi in the northern Lhasa Valley. I estimate that if Songzan Gambu wants to carry the earth with yaks, it must be collected from Shannan, which will inevitably lead to the criticism of the nobles, saying that it is a "waste of people and money". It is better to use the goats of the conquered animal husbandry tribe, which is economical and convenient. Interestingly, the story of "sheep carrying soil" also formed the name of a city: in Tibetan, "white goat" sounds "hot" and "soil" sounds "scattered". Over time, "Reza" evolved into "Lhasa", and its meaning changed from "white goat carrying soil" to "holy land".
Princess Wencheng's marriage to Tibet, like Zhaojun and Fan in those days, is undoubtedly a political marriage. However, I still believe that the princess will be happy in the plateau. After all, she married a charismatic person who had made a vigorous career.
Unfortunately, we still don't know whether the ages of the princess and Songzan Gambu match: Songzan Gambu's birth year is not exactly recorded, and there are two completely different versions in history. It is said that Songtsan Gambu died at the age of 25, which means that Princess Wencheng and Songtsan Gambu did not live together for a long time. On the other hand, Songzan Gambu lived very old, but died not long after the princess got married. According to historical records, they only lived together for three years.
Today, we don't know much about Princess Wencheng's life in Tibet after the death of Songzan Gambo. Of course, for thousands of years, not many people will care about a woman's situation in a foreign country. Jokhang Temple people come and go, but how many people stop for her? The wormwood in front of Jokhang Temple burned one crop after another, and how much smoke fluttered for her? People kowtowed in front of Jokhang Temple, and how many people prayed for her?
Today's Jokhang Temple is a standard Tibetan Buddhist temple with a small scale. The three temples in Lhasa are bigger than it, and they are not among the six famous temples in Tibetan Buddhism. However, its influence and reputation exceed any of the six major temples. The reason is obvious: without that Han woman with great courage, Jokhang Temple might have been lost in the long river of history.
Jokhang Temple is small in area, but because of its geographical location and long-term special position in history, anyone who goes to Tibet must go to Jokhang Temple. First, it is convenient to worship Buddha. For example, the three major temples in Lhasa are all in the suburbs, and the nearest Sera Temple is more than ten kilometers away from the urban area. Therefore, the incense in Jokhang Temple is very prosperous, and people who change butter are in an endless stream. The second is to visit ancient times. Jokhang Temple can be said to be one of the oldest existing buildings in Tibet. More than a thousand years of wind and rain have formed a profound historical accumulation. It is not only a witness to the urban development of Lhasa, but also a witness to the historical development of Tibet. In front of Jokhang Temple stands a mottled Tang Dynasty "Tang-Fan Alliance Monument", which is engraved with not only the communication between Han and Tibetan nationalities, but also the role of Jokhang Temple in Tibet's political life.