Heqin (Chinese: 龢親 or 和親; pinyin: hě qīn) is a term used in ancient China for a marriage alliance. The term literally means "peace marriage." It usually referred to the Chinese emperor marrying off a Han Chinese princess to an aggressive "barbarian" chieftain. The theory was that in exchange for the marriage, the chieftan would cease all aggressive actions toward China. The best-known example of heqin involved the princess Wang Zhaojun.
