Tangfan ancient road

Tangfan ancient road

Tangfan ancient road is a very famous traffic road in ancient history of our country, and it is also the only way from the Central Plains to Qinghai, Tibet, Nepal, India and other countries since the Tang Dynasty. The Tangfan ancient road starts from Xi'an (Chang'an) in Shaanxi, passes through Gansu and Qinghai, and ends in Lhasa (luoxie) in Tibet, with a total length of more than 3000 kilometers. The whole ancient road runs across western China, across the world-famous roof of the world, connecting China's southwest friendly neighbors, so it is also known as the South Silk Road.

On October 25, 2019, the "Tangfan ancient road - joint exhibition of fine cultural relics of seven provinces and regions" was held in the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an, with cultural relics from many museums on display.

Introduction to ancient road

Tangfan ancient road, Pinyin: t á ng B ō g ǔ D à o, also known as mantouling (ancient) post road, today's national highway 214, is the road to Tibet 1300 years ago. Tangfan ancient road is the traffic road between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo. It is a very famous road in ancient Chinese history, and the only way for the Central Plains to go to Qinghai, Tibet, Nepal, India and other countries since the Tang Dynasty. The famous Princess Wencheng married Songzanganbu, the king of Tubo. It has a history of more than 1300 years. The road starts from Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty (now Xi'an, Shaanxi), and ends at luoxie, the capital of Tubo (now Lhasa, Tibet). It spans Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Tibet, with a total length of about 3000 km. More than half of the road is in Qinghai.

The ancient road of Tang and Tibet -- the other end of the ancient road of Tang and Tibet, the cultural canal, has many epic legends about the snow covered grassland and long songs about the new appearance of the Tibetan Grassland today This ancient road, which extends to India and Nepal, is also regarded by scholars as an integral part of the silk road. It is not only an official post road for galloping to Zhaoqing, paying tribute to relatives and conducting trade exchanges, but also a "cultural canal" for carrying Sino Tibetan Friendship and spreading science and technology culture. For thousands of years, it has played an important role in the integrity of the motherland, national unity and national reunification.

After that, there were many envoys between Tang Dynasty and Tubo. According to the records in the book of the whole Tang Dynasty, during the two hundred years after the first year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan reign, the Tibetan and Han nationalities had close contacts along the ancient Tang and Tibetan roads, and the Tang and Tibetan envoys had 142 contacts with each other. With the rapid development of trade, the ancient road of Tang and fan flourished rapidly, and soon became a traffic road connecting stations and posts, gathering officials, servants and merchants. Up to now, in many places where the ancient road passes by, there are still post stations, cities, cottages and ancient temples that people once built, leaving behind the splendid cultural relics created by people from generation to generation, and praising countless moving stories reflecting the friendly exchanges between the Tibetan and Han people.

Route direction

The road starts from Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty (now Xi'an, Shaanxi), and ends at luoxie, the capital of Tubo (now Lhasa, Tibet). It spans Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Tibet, with a total length of about 3000 km. More than half of the road is in Qinghai. Its general route is from Chang'an along the North Bank of the Weihe River to Qinzhou (today's Tianshui, Gansu Province), through Longshan, the border mountain between Shaanxi and Gansu Province, and then to the Weihe River to Linzhou (Lintao, Gansu Province). From the northwest of Lintao, through Hezhou (Linxia, Gansu) crossing the Yellow River into the territory of Qinghai, and then through the northwest of Longzhi city (North ancient city of Minhe Chaigou, Qinghai) to Shanzhou (Ledu, Qinghai). The above can be called the eastern section of the ancient road, all in the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

In the western section of the ancient road, Xining passes through Gonghe County, Xinghai County, Guinan County, Tongde County, Maqin County, Gande county and dari County, enters today's Sichuan territory, passes through Ariza tribe, Shiqu County (Sesu), Yushu County, enters today's Tibet, passes through Nangqian County, leiwuqi County, Dingqing County, Baqing County, Suo County, Naqu area (Baihai), and then passes through Dangxiong county to Luohe county Lhasa.

This is the traditional route from the Central Plains to Hehuang area since the Han Dynasty. Its history can even be traced back to the Neolithic Age 6000 years ago, and our ancestors of the Chinese nation developed along this line.

historical event

The situation of Tang and fan in Sui Dynasty

After the chaos in the late Sui Dynasty and the collapse of the Sui Dynasty, Li Yuan began to fight. Taiyuan was the only place where Li Yuan started his army. After years of hard fighting, Li Yuan and Li Shimin defeated many powerful enemies, defeated many separatist forces, and expanded their unity. Finally, Li Yuan and his son established an unprecedented powerful Tang Empire in Chang'an (now Xi'an city) in Chinese history. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he began to expand to the surrounding areas, successively defeated the Turkic khanate, xueyantuo Khanate and western regions, and brought Monan, Mobei and western regions into the rule of Tang Dynasty.

In the ninth year of Zhenguan (634), Tang Taizong sent Li Jing, Li daozong, Li Daliang, Hou Junji and other generals to attack Tuyuhun. Li daozong defeated the Tuyuhun army in Kushan (now Southeast of Qinghai Lake). Li Jing's subordinate, sagu Wu renzhan, killed the king of Tugu in Manda mountain. The generals of Tang Dynasty defeated Tuyuhun in niuxindui and chishuiyuan, captured Murong Xiaojun, Tuyuhun's minister of heart and brawn, and captured tens of thousands of miscellaneous animals. Hou Junji and Li daozong defeated Tuyuhun in Wuhai and captured the famous King Liang qucong. Li Jing broke down the three tribes of Tuguhun Tianzhu in Chihai, and collected 200000 miscellaneous animals. Li Daliang captured 20 king Tuguhun and 50000 miscellaneous animals, and reached the western border of Qiemo. Tuyuhun Fu Yun fled, Xue Wanjun command cavalry pursuit, break Tuyuhun remaining party. Fu Shun, the son of King Fu Yun of Tuyuhun, led the whole country to surrender to the Tang army. Fu Yun hanged himself and died. Tuyuhun belonged to the Tang Dynasty. Fushun was granted the title of Khan and king of Xiping, and Tuguhun became a tributary of Tang Dynasty.

In the third year of Tang Zhenguan (629 AD), the 13-year-old Tibetan Songzanganbu (617-650 AD) took up the important task of Zanpu. He collected more than 10000 people to form an elite team. After three years of war, he calmed down the civil strife, completed the annexation of many small countries on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, and became a king most favored by Tubo subjects. In 632 ad, Songzanganbu led the people across the Yarlung Zangbo River and moved the country to luoxie (today's Lhasa). In terms of nature, geography, climate, military and politics, Songzanganbu selected a good place for future generations to develop their basic business.

Princess Wencheng goes to Tibet

In 634 ad, Songzan Ganbu sent envoys to Chang'an to get married with Tang Dynasty. After that, Emperor Taizong sent envoys to Tubo to pay a return visit. According to CE Fu Yuan GUI, when song Zan Gan Bu heard that the king of Tuyuhun and Turk proposed to the king of Tang to marry Princess gaishang, he did not want to lag behind. He sent an envoy to Chang'an to ask for marriage, but he did not get the permission of Taizong. In 638 ad, Songzan Ganbu defeated Tuyuhun in the east of Qinghai Province and marched into Songzhou, the Jimi minority in the Tang Dynasty. Han Wei led Qingqi to investigate the Tibetan army, but he was defeated. The Tang Dynasty sent Hou Junji, zhixianli, niujinda and other generals to fight against Tubo. The main force of the Tang army, Hou Junji department, had not yet taken action. Niu JINDA department, the pioneer of the Tang army, had defeated the Tubo army. Songzanganbu was afraid and withdrew from Dangxiang, Qiangqiang, and Tuyuhun. The Tang Dynasty restored its control over Dangxiang, Qiangqiang, and Tuyuhun. Songzan Ganbu sent his Prime Minister Lu Dongzan to propose with five thousand taels of money and hundreds of other treasures.

In the 15th year of Zhenguan (641 A.D.), Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty granted a royal concubine Princess Wencheng and married Songzanganbu. Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, recruited 25-year-old Songzanganbu as his son-in-law. In 641 ad, he sent Li daozong, Minister of rites of the king of Jiangxia, to escort Princess Wencheng to Tubo. Tang and fan became Weng's in laws.

When Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty returned to Koguryo, Songzanganbu offered the golden goose and sent an envoy to write: "Your Majesty calms the four sides, the sun and the moon shine on it, and the minister governs it. Korea depends on the distance, Fu rate in the ceremony, the emperor from the Liao, kaecheng trapped, triumphant return to the sun, although the wild geese fly in the sky, no speed. "Geese are like geese, and I'd like to offer gold to geese."

Over the past 200 years, envoys and businessmen of the two countries kept on exchanging with each other. Finally, between Chang'an and Lhasa, they set foot on a "Golden Road" of more than 3000 kilometers, the ancient Tang and Tibetan road.

After nine years in Tibet, Princess Wencheng died at the age of 34. At that time, she was only 25 years old and could return to Chang'an, but she still lived in Tubo until her death in 680. She lived in Tubo for nearly 40 years, which shows her deep feelings with the land and people of Tibet. Princess Wencheng was also buried in qiongjie, where she and her husband songzanganbuling came back together.

Jincheng Princess

Since then, Princess Jincheng has made no less contributions than her great aunt Princess Wencheng, who also gave birth to a British king for Tibet. During the reign of chisongdezan, the relationship between Tubo and his nephew and uncle in Tang dynasty laid a solid foundation for the future "Changqing League". After the alliance, the ancient road between Tang and Tibet has been unimpeded for quite a long time, witnessing the economic and cultural exchanges and integration between Han and Tibetan

Two princesses, an ancient road, stretching 3000 kilometers, passed on for 1300 years.

historical significance

The Tangfan ancient road is the "Golden Road" that runs across the west of China, across the world-famous "roof of the world" and connects the friendly neighbors in Southwest China, so it is also known as the "South Silk Road". The ancient road between Tang and Tubo is known as one of the three major channels in ancient China. It is a witness of the friendship between Tibet and Han, an important trade route between Tang Dynasty and Tubo, and a "cultural canal" carrying the friendship between Han and Tibet and the spread of science and technology and culture. Up to now, in many places where the ancient road passes, there are still many buildings that people once built

Chinese PinYin : Tang Fan Gu Dao