Did a roman prince around 120AD ever marry into the Chinese Han Dynasty?

Answer 1

If this did happen, it probably went the other way around.

This supposed marriage of a Roman prince and a Chinese princess was popularized by the Malaysian 2011 film, The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines (Clash of Empires), directed by Yusry Abdul Halim, and distributed by KRU Studios. This film itself was somewhat based on the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa--an ancient Malaysian historical document of which does have some historical accuracies as well as other recordings that do not have similar recordings in other documents from outside Malaysia.

Though there was neither a direct mentioning of the wedding of a Roman prince and a Chinese princess in Roman nor Chinese records, it is not to say that it did not happen. In fact, it could very well have happened.

In the 1st century CE and certainly the 2nd century CE, both the Roman Empire and the Han Chinese Empire have been exploring, traveling and trading with lands beyond their own imperial borders. Some say that the mutual knowledge between the two empires were dim, but actually Rome and China, despite the rather vast distance between them, were very well aware of each other's existence for in the 1st century CE, there were already attempts for each side to reach each other with some historical documentation--few but definiteley some. Attempts to reach one another could not have happened unless there was a modest level of mutual knowledge of the empires and of the mutual benefits that could have ensued. The Silk Road certainly helped contacts between Rome and China, no matter how slight or major, occur as well in which there was Roman glassware for Chinese silk. Emperor Hadrian of Rome (alive and ruling at 120CE) also was an emperor, who did not care to conquer more territory, but instead cared to build better Roman infrastructure, establish peace with neighboring kingdoms, and establish more flourishing trade. So, it is likely that Hadrian may well have approved of a high-ranking Roman nobleman to marry a high-ranking Chinese noblewoman too.

Yet to answer your question, if this marriage had happened, it would have likely been a Chinese princess marrying into the Roman nobility. In Rome, it was very well known that many different people from throughout the Roman Empire and many other different people from further lands in contact with Rome, lived in and visited the great European city. So, the other way around would have more likely resulted. In fact, at the beginning of the Clash of Empires film, the Chinese princess was shown in Rome, wearing a Roman dress.