Princess Wencheng Drama in Lhasa
As the spiritual center of Tibet, Lhasa is a perfect starting point for an exciting Tibetan tour. In addition to the landmark Buddhist monasteries, the lively Barkhor Street and eye-opening Tibetan customs and habits, Lhasa has a long history of interesting folklore and mysterious Buddhist anecdotes for you to explore. In the great historical events of Tibet, the legendary marriage between Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty and Songtsan Gambo, king of the Tubo kingdom is indeed the most interesting romantic story to explore.
Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng is the most famous and beloved queen in Tibetan history. About 1300 years ago, the beautiful and wise princess of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) left the capital Chang’an (Today’s Xi’an in Shaanxi Province) and came to Tubo Kingdom, that is today’s Tibet, about 2000 miles away from southwest Chang’an. She brought the Tibetans many scientific and agricultural advances of the tang dynasty, and was believed to be the reason for the introduction of Buddhism into the region. This is the famous peace-making marriage of the Tang Dynasty.
Wencheng is the daughter of the courtier. This interracial marriage helped to strengthen ties between the Tang Dynasty and the Tubo Kingdom. At that time, Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty needed to find a bride for the new ruler of Tubo Kingdom(Tibet), the wise and beautiful Princess Wencheng seemed to be the ideal candidate. She was awarded the title of princess and was sent to west. The story of Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo has always been cherished by the Tibetan people and the rest part of Chinese people.
Songtsen Gampo died in 650, at the age of 34. Thirty years later, Princess Wencheng died. A grand funeral was held for the beloved princess. Generations of poets have written many poems to praise her. Her story was adapted into various forms of drama. Every year, April 15 (the day Princess Wencheng arrived in Tubo) and October 15 (Princess Wencheng’s birthday) are her two traditional festivals. On these days of the year, Tibetans wear their best costumes, singing and dancing in memory of her. The statues of Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo are worshiped at the Jokhang Temple. The house they lived in when they first got married is still kept in the Potala Palace.
Princess Wencheng Drama
Address: Princess Wencheng Theater, China Tibetan Culture and Tourist Creative Park, Cijiaolin Village, Chengguan District, Lhasa, Tibet, China.
Time: Monday – Sunday 21:30-23:00
Ticket Full Price: 380/480/580/880/1280
Frequency: About 180 scenes every year
Wencheng Princess drama is absolutely a must-see and unique experience for Tibetan tourists. As a large outdoor reality show, it shows the history and culture of China and Tibet through the marriage of Tang Dynasty Wencheng Princess to Tubo King Songtsen Gampo 1300 years ago. The drama, which premiered in 2013, is a legendary epic that combines drama, music, dance and modern choreography, restoring the original appearance of Tang Dynasty and ancient Tibetan.
The whole story came from the advice of the Tubo king, Songtsen Gampo. In order to maintain the peace between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty and establish formal diplomatic relations, Songtsen Gampo proposed to marry a princess from Tang Dynasty, symbolizing the persistence of Brotherhood and friendship.
There is no doubt that the great proposal was adopted. In 641, Princess Wencheng set out from Chang’an, the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty, after more than 2000 miles of journey, married to Songtsen Gampo in Lhasa. This epic journey to Tibet and historic marriage have been praised by generations of Tibetan and Han peoples. Many people believe that it was this marriage that led to the construction of the present Potala Palace.
Nowadays, the historic marriage is staging through a lavish live-action musical in Lhasa. For cultural explorers, photographers or fans of drama and music, that will be a real enjoyment.
Highlights of Princess Wencheng Drama
1. Clever Combination of Tibetan song and dance and Modern Choreography
The drama goes deeply into the history and culture of Han and Tibetan, explores the resources from ethnic customs and natural landscape. The song and dance of the Tang dynasty, as well as the Buddhist chanting, Tibetan dance, opera and other artistic forms, which have been popular in Tibet for a long time, are comprehensively applied.
2. The 3D Simulation Scenes
3D simulation scenes create the biggest and most magnificent stage. One of sets has a length of 160 meters, accommodating the simulation scenes of the Jokhang Temple, Ramoche Temple, Potala Palace and other architectures, which is equivalent to restoring the Lhasa city more than 1300 years ago. Among them, the three-dimensional simulation scene of the Potala Palace is 40 meters long and 20 meters high.
3. Epitome of Chinese and Tibetan Culture
Adapted from ancient history, the drama not only tells the story of marriage, but also shows many classical Tibetan and Chinese cultures. In every action of the play, the audience can feel the unique costume charm of Tang Dynasty and Tibetan style.
The costumes of the actors are adjusted to a more ancient local style. More impressively, you can enjoy the splendid Tibetan dance and singing, such as more than 300 performers dancing the Ga(打阿嘎), Zhuo Dance(卓舞)-the most difficult dance in Tibetan and Tibetan dramas. Every prop on the stage is different from the past pattern. Cattle, sheep, yaks and crops on the slope are all alive. Adding butter nightlights, mani stones, giant blue masks, Tangka and other small details allows viewers to visually feel the appeal of traditional Tibetan culture.
Travel Tips
1. Book a convenient and comfortable shuttle service. In that case, you don’t have to worry about how to get to the theater and go back to your hotel at midnight after the drama. Please contact our attentive consultant by Email: contact@YunnanExploration.com or Telephone: +86-871-63511469 to arrange your Tibet Tour.
2. You’d better start off early, because the drama is so popular that there are hundreds of audiences every performance. It will be crowded before the show begins, and it will be tedious to climb many steps to the entrance. If you are in a hurry, you may even miss the prelude to the drama.
3. Pay attention to keep warm. Like other places in Tibet, the temperature difference between day and night is large in Lhasa, so wear warm clothes and shoes when going out at night.
4. The screen on the side of the stage has three languages caption: English, Tibetan and Mandarin, to help visitors have a better understanding of the whole work.
5. As a result of irresistible causes such as earthquakes, typhoons, mudslides and other serious natural disasters, the Princess Wencheng drama will be cancelled, postponed or suspended. If the drama was suspended within 30 minutes after the performance began, tourists can refund the ticket at the place where the ticket is purchased or you can go to the ticket office for a new valid ticket within 3 days to continue to watch the show.
Surrounding Attraction
Potala Palace
Potala is the transliteration of Putuoluo, meaning the palace inhabited by Bodhisattvas. Founded in the 7th century AD, the Potala Palace is located in the center of Lhasa City, the highest point of 3767.19 meters, is also the highest ancient palace in the world.
The Potala Palace is usually the first stop for 99% of visitors travelling to Tibet. The Potala Palace during the day is magnificent, but don’t miss the night view of the Potala Palace. As night falls, lighting systems and musical fountains Breathe new life into the Potala Palace, giving it a new look. The charming night view of the Potala Palace has also attracted many tourists. The musical fountain in the square changes in shape with the rise and fall of the music rhythm. In addition, some local Tibetans dance and sing on Potala Palace Square. Therefore, this is a good place to enjoy Tibetan songs and dances, as well as Tibetan traditional costumes. This is also a good way to relax.
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