Regal romance between Tibetans and Han

King Songtsan Gampo, played by Sonam Gonpo, and Princess Wencheng, played by Wang, perform in the show.

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"The princess's journey must have been an emotional one. She was sad to be separated from her family at a young age but she was aware of her duty (respect the alliance). She also traveled all the way to marry a man who she had never met. I guess she pictured him a thousand times in her head."

In the eyes of the Tibetan people, Songtsan Gampo and Wencheng are godlike, says Sonam Gonpo, 24, a Tibetan singer who plays the role of the king in the drama. Unlike Wang, who performed in Mandarin, Gonpo used his local language to portray the role.

Born in Shiqu county, Ganzi Tibet autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, where the average altitude is about 4,300 meters above sea level, Gonpo grew up listening to the story. As an adult, when he came to Beijing to pursue a career in music, he landed the role of the Tibetan king from among some 100 aspirants.

"My parents are Buddhists and they pray everyday. When they saw me performing the role, they felt so proud of me," he says.

"Besides linguistic and cultural backgrounds, there are many things common to Tibetans and the Han people."