Song of Welcome for Wencheng
In 640 C.E., the emissaries of Songtsan Gambo, one of Tibet’s most powerful rulers, arrived at
the border of China to escort the Tang Dynasty Princess Wenching to Tibet. There, a year later,
she married King Gambo, the thirty-third ruler of the Tubo Dynasty. Through the centuries, this
event and Wenching’s influence was, and is, celebrated in both Tibet and China.
In Tibetan culture, songs are sung on joyous occasions, from the celebration of a wedding to an
important political event. In the case of Wenching, her travel from China to Tibet follows the
route of an old southern Silk Road between the two empires. The following song and
accompanying dance is performed in a section of this road. They claim it was first performed by
the nobles and ladies of Tibet to welcome the Chinese princess to her new home.
Don't be afraid of crossing the prairie
A hundred horses are waiting for you.
Don't be afraid to climb over the snow
A hundred docile yaks are waiting for you.
Don't be afraid to ford the deep river
A hundred horse head boats are waiting for you.
From: Barbara Bennett Peterson, “Dutiful Daughters: Seven Moral Exemplars in Chinese
History,” World History Connected, vol. 1, no. 2.