Sixteen Kingdoms
During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, there were a total of six recorded instances of "heqin" marriage. "Heqin" marriage alliances during the Sixteen Kingdoms period differed from those practiced during the Han dynasty in two main ways. First, they involved "real" princesses (i.e. daughters of emperors or rulers). Second, unlike during the Han dynasty, when most "heqin" marriages were aimed at establishing peace with foreign nations, "heqin" marriages during the Sixteen Kingdoms period were made primarily to settle rivalries and maintain a balance of power between the various states in China at the time.