CHRONICLES OF CHINESE HISTORY华 夏 历 史 志

2 BCE

Imperial clanswomanmarriage-alliance princesspoet

Princess Xijun

刘细君

Princess Xijun (c. 130–101 BCE), originally named Liu Xijun, was an imperial clanswoman of the Western Han dynasty, daughter of Liu Jian, King of Jiangdu, and grand-niece of Emperor Wu of Han. In 105 BCE, Emperor Wu conferred upon her the title of princess and arranged her marriage to Liejiaomi, the Kunmo (supreme ruler) of Wusun, making her the first Han princess sent in marriage alliance to the Western Regions. Following…

2 BCEWestern Han

PROFILE

Princess Xijun (c. 130–101 BCE), originally named Liu Xijun, was an imperial clanswoman of the Western Han dynasty, daughter of Liu Jian, King of Jiangdu, and grand-niece of Emperor Wu of Han. In 105 BCE, Emperor Wu conferred upon her the title of princess and arranged her marriage to Liejiaomi, the Kunmo (supreme ruler) of Wusun, making her the first Han princess sent in marriage alliance to the Western Regions. Following Liejiaomi's death, she married his grandson Junxumi in accordance with local customs, giving birth to a daughter, Shaofu. Her marriage consolidated the Han-Wusun strategic alliance to sever the right flank of the Xiongnu. Her celebrated poem Song of Sorrow is one of the earliest preserved frontier poems by a known Chinese female poet.

Other name
Liu Xijun, Princess of Jiangdu, Princess of Wusun
Period
Han dynasty (Western Han)
Dynasty/Regime
Western Han
Identity
Imperial clanswoman, marriage-alliance princess, poet
Native place
Jiangdu Kingdom (modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu)
Date of birth
c. 130 BCE（Yuanguang 5）
Place of birth
Jiangdu Kingdom (modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu)
Date of death
101 BCE（Taichu 4）
Place of death
Chigu City, Wusun Kingdom (Ili River basin)
Major achievements
First Han imperial princess married to Wusun, solidified strategic alliance against the Xiongnu, authored Song of Sorrow

LIFE TIMELINE

Birth in Jiangdu ｜ Born into the royal house of Jiangdu, daughter of King Liu Jian
Palace Custody ｜ Her father committed suicide after conspiracy; she was spared due to youth
Marriage Alliance ｜ Conferred princess title and married to Kunmo Liejiaomi of Wusun
Remarriage by Custom ｜ Remarried Liejiaomi's grandson Junxumi under local levirate customs
Birth of Daughter ｜ Gave birth to a daughter named Shaofu with King Junxumi
Passing in Wusun ｜ Passed away in Chigu City, Wusun, at approximately thirty years of age

BIOGRAPHY

Biography

Family Background and Early Years

Liu Xijun belonged to the imperial clan of Western Han: her great-grandfather was Emperor Jing of Han, her grandfather was Prince Yi of Jiangdu (Liu Fei), and her father was Liu Jian, Prince of Jiangdu. In 121 BCE, Liu Jian's treasonous conspiracy was discovered and he committed suicide, while his consort was executed. Spared on account of her tender age, Liu Xijun was detained in the imperial court as the daughter of a condemned rebel prince.

Marriage Alliance with Wusun

In 119 BCE, diplomat Zhang Qian returned from the Western Regions and urged Emperor Wu to ally with Wusun to sever the "right arm" of the Xiongnu. Facing Xiongnu pressure and awed by Han power, Wusun dispatched envoys offering a thousand fine horses to request a royal bride. In 105 BCE, Emperor Wu appointed Liu Xijun as an imperial princess and sent her to Wusun with an extensive retinue and lavish gifts to wed Kunmo Liejiaomi as his Right Consort.

Life in the Steppe and Song of Sorrow

In Wusun, Xijun was made Right Consort, while a Xiongnu princess was appointed Left Consort. Xijun had Han-style residences constructed for herself and met with the elderly Kunmo a few times each year for banquets, using imperial silk and goods to win over the tribal nobility. Feeling isolated by foreign language and steppe customs, she composed the moving Song of Sorrow (Beichou Ge). Upon learning of her longing, Emperor Wu dispatched envoys every other year with luxurious gifts and furnishings to comfort her.

Remarriage and Death

As Liejiaomi grew infirm, he sought to pass her to his grandson and successor Junxumi in accordance with steppe levirate custom. Xijun appealed to Emperor Wu for permission to return home, but the emperor instructed her to obey local customs to preserve the grand alliance against the Xiongnu. Following Liejiaomi's death in 103 BCE, she wed Junxumi and bore him a daughter named Shaofu. Xijun passed away in 101 BCE, after which the Han court sent Princess Jieyou to sustain the alliance.

Major Activities

Pioneering the Han-Wusun Alliance

Xijun became the first Han imperial princess sent to Wusun, transforming Han diplomatic strategy from passive concessions toward active strategic encirclement of the Xiongnu through Western Regions alliances.

Cultural and Material Exchange

Accompanied by hundreds of officials, attendants, and craftspeople, Xijun introduced Han architecture, textiles, and palace culture to the Ili River valley, enriching early diplomatic intercourse between Central China and Central Asia.

Literary Legacy

Her poem Song of Sorrow, fully recorded in the Book of Han, vividly captured the psychological hardships of frontier marriage alliances, earning acclaim as the earliest extant frontier poem by a named female poet in Chinese history.

Personal Relations

  • Great-grandfather: Emperor Jing of Han (Emperor of Western Han)
  • Grandfather: Liu Fei (Prince Yi of Jiangdu)
  • Father: Liu Jian (King of Jiangdu)
  • Imperial cousin-uncle: Emperor Wu of Han (Conferred princess status and arranged marriage)
  • First husband: Liejiaomi (Great Kunmo of Wusun)
  • Second husband: Junxumi (Grandson of Liejiaomi, ruler of Wusun)
  • Daughter: Shaofu (Daughter born to Junxumi)
  • Successor princess: Liu Jieyou (Subsequent Han princess sent to Wusun)

Historical Assessment

Ban Gu in the Book of Han recorded her journey and poetry with profound empathy. Subsequent historians consistently praised her personal sacrifice in advancing Han strategic interests across the Western Regions, while Qing literary critics commended her poetry for its genuine and unadorned emotional sincerity.

LOCAL NETWORK

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Bibliography

  • Book of Han, Volume 96B, Memoir on the Western Regions
  • Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 123, Memoir on Dayuan
  • Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 21, Han Annals 13