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Photo shows the live action opera "Princess Wencheng". [Photo/ China Tibet Online] |
"Princess Wencheng" is a live action opera set in the mountainous region of Lhasa, which incorporates Tang Dynasty and Tibetan dances, Tibetan opera, songs, and numerous other artistic performances, recounting the stories of of Princess Wencheng, who traveled a long way to ancient Tibet to marry Songtsen Gampo.
Since the first performance of "Princess Wencheng" in 2013, Tsering Chodron, a retired dance instructor of Tsechokling has become one of the actors in this performance. At the beginning of the year, her daughter Sangye Chodron, entered this performance as well.
When the performance comes to an end around midnight, Tsering Chodron carefully spreads out and examines her costumes; after doing so, she locks the door to the closet room. Once Sangye Chodron is finished removing all of her stage makeup, she looks for her mother, and then the two walk home with their elbows locked together.
"The reason why my daughter and I have become actresses isn't to pursue fame and fortune, but rather to protect our rich culture, and share it with tourists who come to Tibet." Tsering Chodron is always thrilled to share interesting facts about Tsechokling and Princess Wencheng with curious tourists.
Over one thousand years ago, Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, arriving first in Tsechokling, a place with breathtaking natural landscapes separated from Lhasa by a single river. The troops that accompanied the princess into Tibet set up camps here to await the arrival of her welcoming squad. After this event, Tsechokling gradually started to become a small village.
The area of Tibet is quite expansive, and due to differences in geography and climate of certain areas, there is a vast variation of natural resources. In order to accommodate to the varying climates, Tibetans of different areas have designed special clothing. The clothes made by Tibetans to accommodate to the drastic climate changes are a perfect representation of the intriguing Tibetan culture.
In the opera there is one scene where the whole city comes out to celebrate the marriage of Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo, Tsering Chodron makes her appearance on stage. She is dressed in beautiful polychromatic costume of Nagqu Prefecture as she dances onto the stage. "Every time we get to this scene in the performance, my heart is filled with enthusiasm, and I feel as if I've been transported back more than one thousand years in history. It feels as if Princess Wencheng is standing right before my eyes," stated Tsering Chodron.
Sangye Chodron has played eight different roles in the opera, ranging from a maid from the Tang Dynasty to a Tibetan dancer, as well as several other different roles. Sangye Chodron believes that the Tang Dynasty was not only a time of monetary opulence, but also a period steeped in rich culture. Princess Wencheng was an emissary for communication between the two different cultures at the time: she brought grains for harvest to the people of Tubo Kingdom, and taught civilians how to cultivate the land. Her selfless contributions will eternally remain in the hearts of Tibetan people.
Although they are only ordinary performers, this mother and daughter team takes every performance seriously. "My mother and I have participated in more than 100 performances, and although the audience might not know who we are, as long as we do our best to spread knowledge about Princess Wencheng and Tibetan culture to tourists visiting Tibet, that's enough," stated Sangye Chodron.
In August there are lots of tourists coming to visit Tibet. According to official data from Tibet Autonomous Region, in the first half of this year, Tibet has welcomed nearly 5.3 million tourists domestic and overseas, increasing by 26.7 percent. Everyday there are about 3,000 tourists who come to see the live-action opera Princess Wencheng performance during the peak tourism season.
