Shichahai consists of the following three lakes: Qianhai (前海), Xihai (西海) and Houhai (后海).
Xihai |
Houhai is the largest of the three lakes, along with Qianhai (lit. the "Front Sea") and Xihai (lit. the "Western Sea"), that comprise Shichahai, the collective name for the three northern-most lakes in central Beijing.
His mother Consort Yujiulü was a sister of Rouran's Chilian Khan Yujiulü Wuti, who had become an imperial consort of Emperor Taiwu's as part of a peace-marriage arrangement in 434, whereby he married Consort Yujiulü while marrying his sister or cousin Princess Xihai to Yujiulü Wuti.
In the 23rd year of Zhenguan (貞觀二十三年，AD 649), King of Xihai Jun (西海郡王) was conferred upon Songtsen Gampo (松贊幹布), the King of Tubo (吐蕃, or Tibet), by Tang Gaozong (唐高宗), the emperor of Tang Dynasty.