Cultural exchanges between Han and Tibet have a long history

Since ancient times, Han and Tibetan have had a tradition of mutual exchanges and mutual learning. Archaeological discoveries show that as early as the ancient Stone Age, the ancestors living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had close cultural connections with the Central Plains at that time. The Paleolithic rocks unearthed in Xizang and the Central Plains have common craftsmanship traditions in terms of types and processing methods. They have common characteristics of the Paleolithic Age in North China, and at the same time have certain local characteristics.

During the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, yaks and sheep domesticated by Tibetan ancestors were introduced into the Central Plains. By the Qin and Han Dynasties, these livestock, cattle, brown cattle, Tibetan mastiffs, etc. became important commodities exchanged between Tibet and the Central Plains. Agricultural products and handicrafts from the Central Plains also began to be imported into the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The agricultural civilization of the Central Plains and the animal husbandry civilization of the Tibetan and Qiang regions continued to communicate. In the Bon books, records of the early contacts and exchanges between the Han and Tibetan peoples can be found.

From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, concepts such as witchcraft, yin and yang and five elements, geomancy, ghosts and gods, chicken divination, as well as Hetu and Luoshu from the Central Plains were introduced to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Bon culture of Tibet was also introduced to the mainland during this period.

In the 7th century, Tibetan Zampu Songzan Gambo completed the unification of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and established the Tibetan regime. The relationship between Xizang and the Central Plains entered an important stage of development. In the 15th year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty (641), Songtsan Gampo and Princess Wencheng married each other, ushering in comprehensive cultural exchanges between the Tibetan and Han peoples. In the fourth year of Jinglong (710), Princess Jincheng became married to Tubo Zampu Chide Zuzan. The two marriages not only strengthened ethnic relations, but also promoted political, economic and cultural exchanges, pushing Han-Tibetan economic and cultural exchanges to a climax.

During the Five Dynasties, Song Dynasties, Liao and Jin Dynasties, although Tubo and the Central Plains were in a state of scattered separatism and war, the economic and cultural ties between the two places were not interrupted. During the Song Dynasty, there were very frequent economic exchanges between the mainland and ethnic minorities in southwest China. The core was still the traditional tea-horse exchange, medicine and religious culture, and it developed further than before. The cultural exchanges between Han and Tibet, represented by the famous epic "Gesar", became one of the highlights of this period.

In the Yuan Dynasty, the Tubo area came under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Dynasty, providing unprecedented favorable conditions for economic and cultural exchanges between Xizang and the mainland. The tea-horse exchange that originated in the Tang Dynasty was further developed. At the same time, the central currency was used and circulated in Xizang, beginning the close economic and cultural exchanges between Xizang and the central government and the mainland in the form of tribute.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Central Dynasty praised Tibetan Buddhist culture, which led to the continuous strengthening of economic and cultural exchanges between Xizang and the Central Plains and the mainland, and their scale became larger and larger. Astronomy, calendar, tea-making skills and academic thoughts from the Central Plains were further introduced into Xizang, while Tibetan Buddhist culture penetrated deep into the Central Plains, and precious Tibetan medicines were also introduced into the mainland in large quantities.

Since the founding of New China, ethnic equality and ethnic unity have become the dominant ideas of ethnic cultural exchanges in our country, and cultural exchanges between Han and Tibet have also entered a new period of development. Especially since the reform and opening up, with the rapid development of transportation and communication technology, cultural exchanges between Han and Tibet have become increasingly frequent. Han, Tibetan and other brother ethnic groups have gone hand in hand to jointly promote the prosperity of the Chinese nation.

In thousands of years of friendly exchanges, the Han and Tibetan nations have formed a close relationship of interdependence and common development, which runs through production and lifestyle, block printing, religious beliefs, Buddhist scriptures translation, literature and history classics, arts and crafts, astronomy and calendar calculations, medical care. The golden ties at all levels such as sports, culture and art have made important contributions to promoting the formation and development of my country's unified multi-ethnic country.