PrincessWencheng’sMarriagetoXizang:TeaFragranceontheQinghai-XizangPlateau_GuangmingOnlineButterisnecessarytoprovideenergytothosefinishingmeditationwithaweakbody.MonkXuanzangoftheTangDynastydescribedtheuseofbutterinTheGreatTangRecordsontheWesternRegions.Byboilingthesweetbutterandmellowbrickteawithsalt,anessentialfoodispreparedonthediningtablesoftheplateau–thebuttertea.TheTibetanbutterteawascreatedbymixingtheteafromthehinterlandduringtheTangDynastyandthebutterfromXizang,whichbestepitomizestheculturalandpeople-to-peopleexchangesbetweenHanandTibetans.In641A.D.,EmperorTaizongofTangpromisedtomarryhisroyaldaughter,PrincessWencheng,toSongtsenGampo,theleaderofTuboKingdom.TheprincessbroughtalargeamountofdowrygoodstoXizang,suchasfood,tea,medicalbooksandequipment,amongotheritems.DuringtheTangDynasty,teahadalreadybecomeverypopular.therewerenumerousworksonteaandteaboilingsuchasTheClassicofTea.PrincessWenchengandherentouragesbroughtadvancedproductionandlifestylesfromtheCentralPlainstoXizang.AsTibetanhistorybooksrecorded,whenmonksoftheTangDynastypreachedsutrasinXizang,theyhadtodrinkteatomeditate,supplementvitaminsandpromotedigestion.Thus,thetemplesinXizangandthelifestyleoflocalmonkswereinfluenced.Apartfrommonks,teaisalsoindispensabletoTibetanlaypeople.Teaeliminatestheadverseeffectsofhigh-protein,high-caloriefood,soitisoftensaidthat“thegreaseofmeatandtheenergyofstaplefoodcannotbefullydigestedwithouttea”.OntheQinghai-XizangPlateau,peopledidn’teatvegetablesinthepast,theyonlyatebeefandmutton.Teaisofgreatsignificanceinmitigatingthegreaseandmeatfat.Inthissense,teaisvitallyessentialtothem.Laterinhistory,teatradebecamemoreandmorepopular,andeventuallythetea-for-horsetradewasformed.PrincessWencheng’smarriageresultedinanofficialroadattheverybeginning,whichlaterevolvedintoTang-TuboRoad.Thereispersonnelexchangesalmosteveryyear.TheroadhasbecomeanimportantchannelofexchangebetweenHanandTibetans.ThischannellaterevolvedintotheTea-HorseTradeRoute.Infact,theitemstradedalongtheroutewentfarbeyondteaandsilk,withporcelainandotherlivingutensilsincludedaswell.Asnobodycandrinkteawithoutteacups,porcelainwasnaturallyintroducedintoXizang,makingthetradealongtherouteall-inclusive.InitialexchangebetweenthetwosideswasstartedbyPrincessWencheng.Later,allkindsofskillswerebroughttoXizang,changingthelifestyleoflocalsgreatlyandmakingtheirlifemuchbetter.ThisiswhyPrincessWenchengisstillrememberedtothisday.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.