Epic historical romance arrives in Lhasa

The classic romance "Princess Wencheng" is put on stage in Lhasa on Sunday. (Xinhua Photo)

The classic romance "Princess Wencheng" made its debut at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing last October. It's now being staged in Lhasa, with a ground breaking performance in an open-air theater.

It is the year 640 AD. The Tang Dynasty is enjoying a golden era. Ambassadors from far away places converge at Chang'an, known today as Xi'an, to offer their respects and best wishes to the Tang Emperor. Among them is the Tibetan King's envoy, bringing a marriage proposal. It's a marriage that would bring peace and prosperity to both the Tang and Tibet. 16-year-old princess Wencheng accepts the proposal, and embarks on the long journey from Chang'an to Lhasa, a journey symbolic of her transformation from girl to queen.

For a 16-year-old-girl, leaving everything she knew and spending the rest of her life in a far-away kingdom must have been overwhelming. But with the peace and prosperity of both nations hanging in the balance, she refused to just walk away.

The road takes the princess through sand and snow, through water and mountains, finally bringing her to her lover, the King of Tibet, who builds the Potala Palace for her. The palace remains one of the most recognised of Tibet's landmarks today.

And the stage for this epic show is set right across the river from the Potala palace. Performed on the plateau at an altitude of 3,750 meters, the record-breaking performance involves 700 actors from all parts of Tibet. And the open-air theater can hold more than 4,000 spectators.

And there's plenty of opportunities to experience this amazing performance, as the organizer plans to stage as many as 180 shows of "Princess Wencheng" every year.