The China Tsangyang Gyatso Cultural Academic Symposium was held in Lhasa, Xizang, on July 21, bringing together experts and scholars from Xizang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu and other regions. Focusing on topics including Tsangyang Gyatso’s cultural identity and international communication, participants engaged in in-depth discussions from perspectives of academic research, folk traditions and sovereignty narratives. 

The Historical Context Behind the “Love Songs” 

Pasang Norbu, founder of the Tsangyang Gyatso Cultural Research Association of Xizang, revealed a little-known episode of history. He noted that the so-called Tsangyang Gyatso love songs were not all written by Tsangyang Gyatso. Some, he said, were materials fabricated by Lhazang Khan and submitted to the Qing government as accusations against Tsangyang Gyatso. 

At the time, Lhazang Khan collected a large number of folk songs in Lhasa and deliberately selected those featuring romantic themes. He then falsely attributed them to Tsangyang Gyatso as works he had written, composed and sung, in an attempt to prove that Tsangyang Gyatso was “not a genuine reincarnation” and seek the Qing government’s support in deposing him after he had been enthroned for seven or eight years. The material was titled The Biography of Tsangyang Gyatso, which Lhazang Khan used as the basis for his accusations to the emperor. 

What, then, was the actual connection between Tsangyang Gyatso and these poems? According to Pasang Norbu, Tsangyang Gyatso did have a habit of recording folk songs. He often sang and danced with young men and women, writing down the songs he heard and, in some cases, polishing or revising them before placing the finished versions beneath his cushion. Therefore, he did have a connection with these poems, but he was not their author. 

Pasang Norbu suggested that it would be more accurate and inclusive to refer to them as “poems” rather than “love songs.” More than 4,000 such folk songs have been preserved in Xizang, covering a wide range of themes, including love songs, antiphonal singing, and songs praising people and nature. These folk songs are far richer and more diverse than the so-called Tsangyang Gyatso love songs. 

Pasang Norbu also reiterated that, in the first episode of his lecture series Why Study Tsangyang Gyatso, he had already emphasized the issue of sovereignty: Tsangyang Gyatso was born in Mon-yul, his hometown was in Mon-yul, and he was Tsangyang Gyatso of China. 

Tawang is an inalienable part of China’s territory 

At the symposium, experts and scholars approached the topic from different perspectives, yet they all clearly expressed a shared position. 

Liu Xuan, a member of the China Writers Association and a poet, said that Tsangyang Gyatso was born in China’s Tawang area, which is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the place where the poetic spirit of Xizang was nurtured. He left Tawang and traveled to many places, leaving behind many beautiful poems along the way. 

Liu Xuan said that Tsangyang Gyatso is not only a historical figure but also a cultural presence whose influence continues to resonate today. Rooted in his ethnic heritage while transcending ethnic boundaries, he is a poet of universal significance. Precisely for this reason, his cultural affiliation needs to be clarified at the international level. His poetic spirit forms an important part of China’s fine traditional culture. 

A Seven-Year Creation: Memories of Tsangyang Gyatso Woven in Horsehair Thangka 

Folk traditions have also quietly preserved the traces of Tsangyang Gyatso. 

At the achievements exhibition of the symposium, a 50-meter-long and 2.2-meter-high thangka scroll titled The Story of Tsangyang Gyatso in Horsehair-Wrapped Thread Art was unveiled. The masterpiece was created by 83-year-old Mongolian craftswoman Gerile. From 2016 to 2023, she spent seven years completing the monumental work using the ancient horsehair-wrapping thread technique. Like a silent epic, this thangka vividly unfolds Tsangyang Gyatso’s life journey and cultural legacy before the world. 

“Wherever Tsangyang Gyatso traveled, there are stories about him. His legacy is not limited to Alxa in Inner Mongolia; related temples in Xizang, Gansu, Qinghai and other places still preserve authentic traces connected with him,” Gerile said. 

These words, rooted in ordinary folk memory, reveal the deep cultural foundations of Tsangyang Gyatso’s legacy across different regions of China. They also challenge attempts to portray him as belonging exclusively to the Tawang region while severing his cultural ties with China as a whole. 

Greatness in Simplicity: Bringing Authentic Stories to the World 

Liu Xuan believes that Tsangyang Gyatso’s poetry is simple yet graceful, infused with compassion. His works show concern for vulnerable groups and care for all living beings, reflecting a broad vision while using language that is both plain and beautiful. For creators, she said, this offers valuable inspiration: one does not need ornate words to express one’s feelings for the world or convey love for humanity. Tsangyang Gyatso’s works provide a compelling example. 

Liu noted that many versions of Tsangyang Gyatso’s poems are currently in circulation, some of which contain inaccuracies. She said scholars and readers alike hope that a more authoritative and authentic edition can be produced. She suggested combining the poems with folk legends, while bringing them into academic research and then returning them to the wider public through further interpretation and refinement. Through this cycle of study, preservation and renewal, Tsangyang Gyatso’s poetry can continue to gain vitality. 

Bai Wei, a faculty member at Xi’an Polytechnic University, noted that the communication and study of Tsangyang Gyatso’s legacy have developed along different paths in China and abroad. She expressed the hope that comparative studies between domestic and international scholarship could be strengthened, with research and communication on Tsangyang Gyatso serving as an important platform for diverse groups to engage in broader dialogue on related topics. 

In her view, academic symposiums of this kind are both reliable and necessary, as they help provide scholarly guidance and a more structured interpretation of Tsangyang Gyatso culture. “We should not allow it to remain confined to superficial, romanticized folk interpretations. Instead, we need to return to the historical facts, present a more accurate understanding of Tsangyang Gyatso, and tell China’s story well,” she said. 

At this symposium, experts and scholars shared a wide range of perspectives. From scholarly research into the origins and attribution of the so-called love songs, to discussions on Tawang as part of China’s territory, and to the vision of bringing authentic stories to the world, the symposium has opened new avenues for a more rigorous and comprehensive study of Tsangyang Gyatso culture. Ultimately, the answers lie in more meticulous historical research and more open academic dialogue.