Excellent Horse Breeds in Chinese History

Origin and Evolution of Chinese Horse Breeds

The Po's wild horse was once considered (Equusprzewalskii) the ancestor of the northern Chinese horse breeds. After more than 30 years of archaeological excavations and research, it has been proved that the ancestor of the Chinese national horse was the wild horse species E. caballus, whose predecessor was the Samen horse (E. samenensis), and all of them had survived in the vast area of northern China. The southern Chinese horse species originated from the Yunnan horse (E. yunanensis), and their fossils are distributed in a vast area centered on Sichuan and Yunnan.

Horse bones have been unearthed at Neolithic sites such as Chengziyi in Lixing, Shandong Province, and Baiying in Tangyin, Henan Province, which belong to the Longshan culture. Gansu yongjing dahozhuang qijia early cultural sites unearthed horse lower molar, by carbon dating and correction, its age is about 2000 BC or so, identified with the modern horse. According to "Zhou Yi? According to the "Zhouyi", when the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun were in power, "they used oxen to ride horses, and led heavy loads to great distances", which means that horses had been domesticated and used for service at that time.

Ancient Chinese horses were generally taller than modern horse breeds, and there were many so-called "thousand-mile horses" throughout the ages. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Wei had 3,000 mares (mare mare) above six feet (138 centimeters today). When Emperor Jingdi of Han Dynasty prohibited the horses above 5 feet 9 inches (135.7 cm) in height, which was equal to the terracotta horse figurines unearthed in the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Song Dynasty to buy a horse standard height of 130.2 ~ 145.7 centimeters. Since the Ming Dynasty, due to the depletion of the war and the decline of horse breeding industry, in addition to the western minority areas still save some of the good breed, China's horse breeds show a trend of degradation.

Distribution of Ancient Horse-Raising Areas

The main horse-raising areas in ancient China were basically the same as those in modern times, but the traditional agricultural areas have seen a significant decrease in horses in recent centuries due to changes in socio-economic conditions and ecological environments.

Northwest horse-producing area

This area includes the ancient western region, the prairie is rich and beautiful, the people of all ethnic groups have always made a living by animal husbandry, and produce good horses. 2000 years that is China's main resource for good horses. Shaanxi, Gansu region also has a long history of horse breeding. In about 900 B.C., Fei Zi, who raised horses for King Xiao-King of Zhou in the marsh and Wei fields, became the ancestor of the state of Qin, which was famous for its horses. Later on, the large-scale national horse farms of the Han and Tang dynasties were mainly located in this area. After the Tang Dynasty Anshi rebellion, the right side of Longyu fell to the Tubo, animal husbandry is still developed. Song and Ming dynasties, the tea and horse system, every year from the northwest region to the mainland imported tens of thousands of horses, which also includes the Tang horse species. Ming dynasty in shaanxi, gan province two reclamation breeding military horses, and build horse farms, until the far west corridor. Qing Qianlong years, set up a horse farm in Xining to Jiayuguan outside, Ili, Bailikun two horse farms are particularly large, but also pastured by Inner Mongolia and Yumen transported to the stallion.

The northern part of the horse production area

The vast grasslands north of the Great Wall is the ancient origin of the Mongolian horse breed. After the Warring States period, the Huns, Turks, Mongols and other nomadic peoples rose up here one after another, with huge herds of horses. Through inter-ethnic trade, war and migration, a large number of horses from this region have been introduced to the Central Plains since the Zhou and Qin. For example, the Tang Dynasty set up a horse market in the north, and some of the tribute horses even came from the Baikal Lake area. Ming, Qing Xuanhua, Dazhong and other major towns in the border each year to the city outside the quota of 34,000 horses, and allow folk in the border free horse trading. From Liao, Jin, Yuan to the Qing Dynasty, Chahar grasslands are the main horse breeding. Yuan dynasty rule during the pastoral land from southeastern Siberia, through the Chahar to the lower reaches of the Yellow River, **** divided into 12 large pastoral areas. The Qing dynasty in the whole territory of Chahar organization of the Mongolian development of horse breeding, the national army horses are mostly taken to this.

Southwest horse-producing areas

Southwest, including Tibet, horse breeding can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. During the Han Dynasty, merchants from Ba Shu already traded horses and other livestock here. The Eastern Han Dynasty had set up horse courts in Sichuan and Yunnan. By the Song Dynasty, more attention was paid to southwestern horse resources. From the Northern Song Dynasty to the end of the Ming Dynasty, the tea-horse trade, Shu horses and Yunnan and Guizhou horses represented by Dali horses were the main targets. Southwest horse suitable for mountainous ecological environment, there is no lack of valuable horses, but for military purposes more than the northern horse. According to "Guihai Yuheng Zhi? Beasts" records, the south produced "fruit under the horse", not more than three feet high, to the best produced in Guangdong Deqing.

Guandong horse-producing areas

The northeast region is also an important horse-producing areas in Chinese history. The Eastern Hu of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and the succeeding Xianbei and Wuhuan were all riding and hunting tribes. Xianbei east of the Nenjiang River, Songhua River basin Fuyu people to camp agriculture, also produces famous horse. After the Khitan and Jurchen successively established Liao and Jin, there was a grand herd organization. Liao kept more than one million horses, and Jin Shizong only kept 470,000 horses in seven herds. Ming Yongle years set up horse market in Liaodong and other places, purchase from the Songhua River to the Heilongjiang area of the horse, and set up Liaodong Yuan horse temple presided over horse breeding. In the early Qing Dynasty, horse farms were also set up in the northeast, but the horse breeding industry declined significantly. After a large number of immigrants to Guanwai settlement, the urgent need for animal power, horse breeding and development, the Northeast provinces in the past hundred years to become the largest number of horses in the region.

Midland horse-producing areas

Midland since ancient times, horseback riding, horse breeding is quite prevalent. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, horse breeding became popular, and then declined for a while. Grassland peoples move south, and make the Central Plains animal husbandry resurgence. However, due to the introduction of a large number of Mongolian horse breeds, so that the original horse breed gradually disappeared. Shanxi yanmen pass for the northern part of the horse breed entrance, the Tang dynasty in Hedong (now Shanxi) has a pastoral supervisor, horse production is very tomato. Northern Song dynasty pastoral supervision is mainly distributed in the central plains, the heyday of as many as 14 places. But some of the pastoral supervisor has been and planting contradictions, management and poor, so there is a trend of decline; but from the Liao, Jin, Yuan generations in the invasion of this area after the long-term looting of the number of horses, it seems that the folk horse is still very considerable. Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty, the law of horse protection, the Ming Dynasty, the official horse people grazing, mainly in the implementation of this place. Until the Qing Dynasty prohibited private horse breeding, coupled with the increasing population, the lack of pastureland, the Central Plains horse breeding industry was in ruins.

Southeast horse-producing areas

China has always been "South Boat North Horse" said that the southeast region of the horse breeding industry is not developed, but it is not absolutely inappropriate to raise horses. Such as the end of the Spring and Autumn period of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the state of Wu due to the need for chariots, horses once developed very quickly. Since the Tang to Song Dynasty, have been in the south of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei and other places to establish horse farms. The beginning of the Ming Dynasty in between the Jianghuai and southern Jiangsu Province and the construction of pastoral supervision of up to 14, in the history of southern China is unprecedented.

Changes in the use of horses

Horses were initially kept for meat. Horses were used as sacrifices during the Yin Dynasty. According to the biography of Mu Tianzi, when King Mu of Zhou visited the west, the tribes around Qinghai offered "food horses". Later, because of the importance of the horse in the military, postal transportation, and so on, no longer used as a sacrifice and martyrdom, and strictly prohibit the slaughter of horses. According to the Zhou Li? Xiaguan", the main uses of horses in the Zhou Dynasty could be divided into "breeding horses" for breeding, "military horses" for military use, "qi horses" for ceremonies and rituals, "dao horses" for postal transportation, "dao horses" for military use, "dao horses" for military use, "dao horses" for postal transportation, "dao horses" for postal transportation, and "dao horses" for postal transportation. "Road horse", for hunting "field horse" and can only be used as miscellaneous service "incompetent horse" 6 categories. According to the zhou dynasty system, only the king of zhou can also keep 6 types; vassals are not allowed to keep the first two types, the doctor is only allowed to keep the last two types. This constraint was broken during the Spring and Autumn period.

The origin and evolution of the various uses of horses, according to the Zhou Yi? The Zhou Yi (周易) and the Tang Tongdian (唐通典). Rites, horse-drawn carriages were already invented by the time of the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun. The carriages unearthed in the Yin ruins were quite well constructed. During the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, horse-drawn carriages were commonly used for fighting, hunting and transportation. The origin of horse farming can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty. According to the Han Dynasty "Salt and Iron", the origin of horse plowing can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty. Not through" said the Han Dynasty, "farmers to horse plow load", the same book, "scattered insufficient" chapter said that "the ancient" horse "line is served choke (yoke), stops on the plow", when it is a fact. Horseback riding since when, it is difficult to specify. But it is widely used in production and war, undoubtedly from the northern nomads. During the Warring States period, the Central Plains in order to deal with the northern horseback-riding peoples, have changed the chariot for cavalry, Zhao Wuling Wang "Hu clothing riding" that is its obvious example. The status of the post horse has always been second only to the military horse. Because the ancient land transportation mainly relies on the post, and no matter the stagecoach or the stagecoach are inseparable from the horse. In the Spring and Autumn period, there were post horses, which were more developed in the Han and Tang dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, there were post stations every 30 miles, and each station had 8 to 75 horses. The Yuan Dynasty by the stage transportation to contact the khanate, "Marco Polo Travels" said that each station has 20 to 400 horses, the country **** there are 300,000 stage horses. In addition, horses were also used in sports. Reflecting the life of the nomads in the north of Inner Mongolia Wolf Mountain area rock paintings, there have been equestrian performances in the image. In the Central Plains, equestrianism was first seen in the Han Dynasty court entertainment, to the Tang Dynasty unprecedentedly developed, the emergence of horseback performance, horse dance, horse racing and other projects. Playing polo originated in Tibet, prevalent in the Tang Dynasty Palace, up to the Ming Dynasty developed into a military sport. As for the horse milk drinking, since ancient times in the grassland peoples, the Qin and Han when introduced to the Central Plains. The Han Palace set up special officials and craftsmen made horse milk wine for the royal family to drink, and then spread to the people. Because of its sweet flavor, it was respected by ancient medical doctors.

The Development of Horse Breeding Technology

Traditional horse breeding technology in China is rich in content, and has been applied to the folk for a long time before the introduction of the Western method, with outstanding results. In addition to many lost, the main: 1. Horse-raising techniques. Spring and Autumn Burleigh, nine Fanggao and other horse-reading masters, and wrote the "horse-reading scripture". Han emperor wudi according to Dawan horse casting "golden horse" for good horse type in Changan. East Han Dynasty Ma Yuan wrote "copper horse phasing method", and cast a copper horse model in front of Luoyang Palace. Since then, there have been a thousand years of horse-phasing works, such as the Tang people wrote, the Ming Dynasty adapted the "good horse Baojin Ge", etc. 2. castration. 3. feeding, breeding and conditioning method. The Warring States military man Wu Qi had summarized the pre-Qin horse breeding. The Northern Wei Dynasty "Qimin Yaojutsu" pointed out that horse breeding should be "three ruminants of food and three times of drink", which was also practiced by later generations. In the horse breeding, Tang, Song has taken rectal pregnancy check, and registration and declaration system; Ming Dynasty and development. The northern and southwestern ethnic minorities on the good horse fat control and conditioning method is very distinctive. The Mongolian invention of the horse pole and the northwest region of the rope circle catching horse method, etc., is still applied. 4. horse breed improvement. Han Wu Di introduced from the western region of Dawan horse, Usun horse, etc., in addition to the imperial use, mainly for the stallion, can be regarded as China's horse breed improvement of ??. From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, the continuation of the western region of the import of good horses, including Dawan horses and Persian horses, but also the northern steppe tribes of the color of the tribute horse, after crossbreeding, so that the Tang Dynasty horse is stronger. Now the Hequ horse and Qilian Mountain north and south of the local varieties is the Tang horse remains.

Horse government history

Shang dynasty oracle bone divination record of the management of the king of Shang horse horse horse small minister. The historical system of governmental management of horses was first conceived in the Zhou Dynasty. In the Rites of Zhou, the schoolmen, priests, trainers, concealed, interesting horses, and witch horses were responsible for the grazing, feeding, training, riding and health care of the horses. In addition to the Zhou royal family and vassals to raise horses, but also to the lower levels of horses to fill the army. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, there were already "the house of a thousand rides" and "the country of ten thousand rides" to represent the wealth of horses and carriages in the vocabulary. In Qin and Han Dynasty, the border counties set up courts to raise horses, and set up the temple of the servant of the emperor, the horse government organization has been formed since then; the position of the servant of the emperor from the Zhou Dynasty, the king of the Zhou dynasty carriage of the royal slave, into the horse government officials, ranked in the nine ministers. From the Northern Dynasties, the Imperial Household Temple is also in charge of camel, cattle, sheep and other pastoral politics.

Sui-Tang set up in the right of Longyang pastoral supervision, in addition to the Taisu Temple in charge of the national pastoral government, and set up the Department of driving in charge of the post horse, the collection of private and public horse and cattle and animal books, in order to test the course of the organization of the horse government to this point, the big ready.

Song dynasty in addition to still have the temple and driving department, and set up a group of pastoral make. The government also set up tea and horse temple, tea and other to the western ethnic minorities in exchange for horses. Wang Anshi created a government horse people raise the law of horse protection, but soon abolished, and later changed to the civil animal husbandry system. Liao, jin, yuan horse organization basically follow the system of tang and song dynasty, to raise the horse in the outer region of the main, and raided the people horse. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty in the north and south of the country to implement the horse government, in shaanxi and Gansu and Liaodong set up horse farms, in the agricultural areas of the official supervision of the people's pastoral care, by the taiwu temple, court horse temple and the line of the taiwu temple to take charge of its affairs, united in the Ministry of military affairs. Later, because of the pasture is decreasing, the officials chaotic job and not effective. Qing dynasty heyday suppression of mainland private horse breeding, horse breeding industry is declining, only in Chahar and other places to set up a number of horse farms, the government set up the Imperial Household Servants Temple, on the team of hospitals, subdivided into the mouth outside the horse farms. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the military reform, which lasted more than 2,000 years of horse government institutions merged into the military pastoral division, but the team of the hospital is still retained until the Qing Dynasty fell.

After the Xinhai Revolution, the first in the Ministry of War set up the Department of Military Horse Department. 1936 Nanjing Government Department of Military Affairs, Military Pastoral Section expanded into the Department of Horse Administration. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China **** and the State, horse breeding industry by the government's agricultural sector leadership, the People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department was also once set up Horse Administration Bureau, respectively, presided over the military and civilian horse breeding and improvement work.

Why did the people of China choose the horse in the Chinese zodiac, obviously because the horse is a friend of mankind, China's civilization of more than 5,000 years of history, if you leave the horse, it will be much inferior. History has a "divine horse pack book" beautiful mythological stories, "Yi． Series of Rhetoric" said: "River out of the map, Luo out of the book", "Shangshu in the Hou. Holding the river discipline": "Fuxi's world, the dragon horse negative map out of the river." Legend has it that when Fuxi's time, a dragon horse appeared from the Yellow River, carrying the "river map"; a turtle appeared from the Luo water, carrying the "Luo book", Fuxi according to the dragon horse and the turtle to carry the "map" and the "book" drawings. "Book" painted into the eight trigrams, which became the "Zhou Yi" source. Legends about the "eight steeds" story. "Gleanings" of King Mu of Zhou recorded: "The king harnessed the eight dragons of the steed, a Jedi, two over the feathers, three run night, four super shadow, five over the light, six super light, seven Tengmu, eight hostage wings, called the 'eight steeds' also."

Ancient attention to the good horse, and interpreted many popular stories, such as "old horse knows the way" allusion, "white horse is not a horse" philosophical argument. Qin Mugong, Bole, nine Fanggao are the masters of the horse at that time, so that today "Bole" has become synonymous with the discovery and cultivation of talent. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also cast the standard size of a good horse as a "copper horse French" in Chang'an, outside the Luban Gate. 1973 in the Mawangdui No. 3 tomb of the Han Dynasty in the excavation of the Palm Book "Horse Sage" is the earliest monographs can be seen on the horse.

Because people loved horses, they also became the object of painting art. Since the oracle bone inscriptions, people have taken the horse as the subject of artistic expression. But the image of the horse, whether in its role, use or artistic creation before the Qin Dynasty, has not had its independent existence.

The horse began to have a relationship with human beings, I am afraid, should be from the beginning of labor. But the horse's emergence was not from labor, but from war. The Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period is China's history of frequent wars, bloody years, in which the chariot war accounted for a large part. Car war in the horse naturally played an important role in the bronze dominated the era, we can often see is like Zun, cloud pattern rhinoceros Zun or four sheep square Zun, and even ragged (pig) Zun such a heavy bronze, never the shape of the horse. Only in the Qin Dynasty, known as "the eighth wonder of the world" Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum of the Qin Terracotta Warriors, bronze carriages and horses, as well as the Qin gilt-bronze carriages, that the mastery of horse-making skills is breathtaking. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin are the image of the strong soldiers and horses of Qin Shi Huang's army, which swept the Six Kingdoms. The mausoleum of the first emperor of Qin, *** by three pits, buried 8,000 and real horses as big as the terracotta warriors and horses, of which the first pit to form the most spectacular military formation, is the infantry military formation, the number of soldiers and horses up to 6,000.

In December 1980, in the west side of the mausoleum of the first emperor of Qin Shi Huang found two painted bronze carriages and horses, is so far the earliest age found in China, the most complex structure of the bronze casting carriages and horses, is unparalleled in the world of the ancient bronze treasures. This kind of car driven by four horses side by side, supported by the canopy, is the ancient famous "team of horses and car", "a word is out, team of horses can not catch up" from this. These two bronze carriage complete form, driving equipment, equivalent to one-half of the real carriage. One of the second bronze carriage, weighing 1241 kilograms, the car in front of the four bronze horse, about 110 centimeters long, realistic form, anatomical relationship is reasonable. Bronze figurines in front of the car, colorful white collar, two arms stretched forward as a bridle. The bridle strap and leash are all connected by bronze pieces with strong texture.

Bronze carriages its production process of complexity and variety and arduous degree is shocking, the whole car by 3462 parts, *** have interface 3962 places, the process is very delicate and complex, more than three thousand parts are basically casting molding, and then filed, polished and become. Among them, there are 1720 pieces of gold and silver components, ornaments, noble and rich, solemn and elegant, extremely fine workmanship. Walls around and oval canopy painted with colorful floral patterns, smooth lines, strong sense of three-dimensional, as if inlaid. It is not only in the history of bronze left a brand new record, but also in the history of art in China occupies an important position. It is a rare treasure that has never been seen in the archaeological data found in the past.

The granite stone carvings in front of the tomb of Huo Zaiwei of the Western Han Dynasty, located in the northwest of Daochang Village, Taiping County, Shaanxi Province, are masterpieces of early Han Dynasty carving art. Huo Zaiwei was a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, who led his troops six times in five years to counter the invasion of Xiong Nu, and won six victories in six battles, and made immortal achievements for lifting the military threat of Xiong Nu to the Han Dynasty and opening up the road to the western regions, but he died young, only 24 years old when he died, and Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty buried him generously. Fourteen pieces of stone carvings in front of the tomb are mainly animals, only the image of the horse are: horse treading on the Xiongnu, leaping horse, lying horse three pieces, the author used allegorical techniques, with the imposing, proudly standing war horse to symbolize the young general's heroic posture.

The Horse Treading on Xiongnu is another experience of the Chinese art of sculpture, which is characterized by its realistic and evocative nature. It looks like such a semi-finished product seems to be very clumsy, the lower part of the body without carving makes people feel that it seems to be a very heavy boulder, although the horse is rough, but it still has a kind of dynamic momentum, the shallow carving of a few strokes is the horse's legs, which are connected with the upper body of the horse as a whole, and the excess of uncarved stone does not exist at all, but there is a complete image of the horse.

After the Han Dynasty burials in the shape of the horse increased, in 1969, Gansu Wuwei Leidai East Han Dynasty tomb unearthed bronze "horse super dragon bird" (also known as the horse Feiyan) is a round carving of the horse, the horse's body proportions are accurate, vivid modeling, head and tail, running trend, the horse's physical fitness and beauty of the state of the space to give rise to a soaring flow of people! The horse's body is very healthy and beautiful, giving people a sense of space flow in flight. Symbolizing the heavenly horse, galloping like flying. Three hooves in the air, a hoof on a flying swallow, due to the center of gravity balance mastered, so although it is the whole body only in the back of the left foot on the point of force, but it is still very smooth.

"Horse stepping on flying swallows" of the subtle in its clever conception, to show a horse to become immortal "heavenly horse" theme, the sculptor can be said to have dug into the heart of the imagination, imagined such a horse stepping on flying swallows Binshi shape. The heavy and huge body of the horse and the small and flexible body of the swallow form a strong contrast, thus achieving the effect of lifting the weight as if it were light, and the heavy body of the horse becomes light and flexible. Although the fact that one of the horse's feet is stepping on a swallow is the basis for the horse's body to achieve balance, it is not the focus of this work. What is important is that this work successfully represents the horse's galloping posture, and every detail is not wasted. The "Horse Super Dragon Sparrow" also shows that the horse began to be truly independent from the chariot, and became the pinnacle of Chinese art with its extraordinary imagination and exaggerated artistic techniques, so much so that its image appeared on the stamps of the new China for three times.

Tang Sancai is the essence of Tang Dynasty pottery, a brilliant pearl in China's ancient pottery. Made of ordinary clay, using the art of fire to make it immortal works of art, Tang Sancai is a kind of low-temperature glaze pottery, adding different metal oxides in the color glaze, after baking, it will form a variety of colors such as light yellow, ochre yellow, light green, dark green, sky blue, maroon, aubergine and other colors, with yellow, brown and green as the basic glaze colors. Therefore, the later generation called this kind of pottery "Tang Three Colors". Tang three-color pottery reached its peak in the early Tang Dynasty and the Sheng Tang Dynasty. After the Anshi Rebellion, with the gradual weakening of the Tang Dynasty, due to the rapid development of porcelain, three-color production gradually declined. Later produced "Liao three color", "gold three color", but in quantity, quality and artistry, are far less than the Tang three color.

Tang Sancai color glaze has a thick and light changes, mutual infiltration, mottled effect. In the color of each other, showing the artistic charm of the rich and magnificent. Tang Three-color horse not only colorful and rich, but also the shape of the body rounded, full, elegant and noble modeling, from which can be shown in the era of the Tang Dynasty. Tang Three-color variety, mainly figures, animals and daily life utensils. In a variety of animal statues, to the horse and camel as much, in the Tang Three-color so many horses and camels, is consistent with the social development of the history of the time, reflecting the developed transportation industry. 1957 in Xi'an Xian Yu Ting teach the tomb of the three-color three-flower horse unearthed in the Tang Three-color horse is a masterpiece.

Tang three-color a word, not in the ancient literature, the earliest record is the Republic of China period. The world's attention to the Tang Three-color about the beginning of this century, 1905-1909, during the construction of the Longhai Railway, Luoyang North Mangshan found a number of Tang Dynasty tombs, unearthed a large number of Tang Three-color works. This batch of Tang Three-color was transported to the Beijing market, by the domestic and foreign ancient artifacts researchers and antique merchants, from then on, the world knows the name of Tang Three-color. Since the founding of the country, the name of the Tang Three-color long used to this day, of course, professional researchers are more "Tang color glazed ceramics," the name of the name, from a strict sense, the latter is more scientific, because from the process, the Tang Three-color is a "glaze" and can not be counted! "color", but the Tang three-color is the name of the convention, there is a wide range of influence, and thus maintain this name.

Horses in the battlefield, charging, galloping. How many mythological legends of heroes standing on horses have been left behind. Huo Zaiwei tomb of the Horse Treading Huns, Tang Taizong tomb of the Zhaoling six steeds, are the ancient Chinese sculptor for the horse God, so that this ardent life in the hard stubborn stone to leave an immortal shape. The most representative of the Tang Dynasty stone carving art level is Tang Taizong's Shaanxi Zhaoling relief "Zhaoling six steeds", Tang Taizong Li Shimin south and north, has ridden six steeds galloped on the frontier, a long period of campaigning career so that the Tang Taizong Li Shimin and the war horses have formed an inseparable relationship. Zhenguan ten years (636 years), began to build the mausoleum of zhaoling. Tang Taizong Li Shimin issued an imperial decree, so that the famous craftsmen Yan Lide, Yan Li, artist design supervision chiseling, he rode in the war six meritorious horses, to take the Buddhist high-flesh relief method, engraved in the width of 2 meters, high 1.5 meters on the large lapis lazuli, six steeds east and west symmetrically aligned, east of the "Zaolu purple", "Fist Mauchu", and "Fist Mauchu", "Fist Mauchu", and "Fist Mauchu". "Fist Mao騧聙聺" and "white hoofed Wu", the west for "Shivaji", "green piebald", "Terre hussar", "the", "the", "the", "the", "the", "the" and "the". "Treble Hussar". Zhaoling six steeds, the performance of Li Shimin in the creation of the Tang empire in the major battles of fierce battle posture, six horses with different postures, robust and unusual, simple and thick approach, carving exquisite, highly reflects the artistic level of China's ancient sculpture.

"Zhaoling six steeds" each with its own name, each with its own posture, each with its own characteristics, the works of the treatment, mainly realistic. "Zaolu purple" depicts the scene of Qiu Xinggong for "Zaolu purple" to pull out the arrow. The calm demeanor of "Zalu Zi", its front legs standing upright, its shoulder and neck muscles tense due to pain, and its body slightly leaning back, shows that it is actively cooperating with the rescuer's treatment. In 621 A.D., when the Tang army and Wang Shichong's army fought a duel in Luoyang, Li Shimin was caught in the enemy's battlefield, and "Zalu Zi" was hit by an arrow in its chest, but fortunately, the guard Qiu Xinggong rushed to protect the horse. He gave his mount to Li Shimin, and held "Zaru Zi" with one hand, shouted and killed with one hand, and protected Li Shimin from the siege. In order to commemorate this event, Emperor Tang Taizong specially ordered Qiu Xinggong and this horse to be carved together. The rest of the five steeds, to independent composition of the picture, there are standing, there is a slow walk, there are bingo, the image of different, lifelike.

"Zhaoling six steeds" of which "Zaolu purple", "fist Mao騧" two relief, in 1914 by the United States cultural relics smuggling merchants collusion of national scum, broken box, stolen to the United States, now in Philadelphia, the city of Philadelphia. Stolen to the United States, is now stored in Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Museum, now "Zalu purple" is the most well-preserved. 1917, the remaining four broken and boxed, ready to steal again, transported to the Tongguan Road, was found by the local patriots intercepted and recovered. It is now kept in the Beilin Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and has become a rare treasure.

China's paintings of horses also began in the Tang Dynasty. The most famous horse painters of the Tang Dynasty were Cao Ba, Zhang Xuan and Han Yu. Cao Ba's paintings were described by Du Fu as being like "the real dragons coming out of the nine heavens". The Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Xuan made "Lady Guo Guo's Spring Tour", depicting Lady Guo Guo, the third sister of Yang Yuhuan, the favorite concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and her family members on a leisurely horseback spring tour. The horse in the painting is rich and complete, with fine lines, elegant and rich colors and decorative.

Han good offices, living in the era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, poor, was found and appreciated by Wang Wei, and financial support for its learning to paint, and ultimately for the painting of horses, Tianbao early called into the palace for the court offerings, when Chen Gai paintings of the horse was unique for a while, Xuanzong ordered Han good offices to follow the example of the Chen Gai, but good offices did not comply with the orders of the Xuanzong strange asked why, Han good offices replied: "I have their own division, now Your Majesty's inner stables of the horse, are all the division of the Minister" (Zhu Zhu). The master of the division" (Zhu Jingxuan, "Tang Dynasty famous paintings"). It can be seen that he paid attention to the study of life and did not follow the rules. Most of the horses painted by Han Gu were imperial horses, mostly reflecting the themes of hunting and fun for the emperor and nobles, with more flesh and less sinew. The works that have been handed down to this day include "Horse Ranching" and "White Night".

The Horse Ranching Picture painted black and white two horses, a Xi official gnarled beard wearing a turban head, holding a reins slowly, the horse body fat, with the momentum of the gods, the whole picture is not applied to the background, the generality is strong, the use of simple and concise sullen, thin and strong lines, elegant coloring, the characters of the form of the gods and god, the sparse and dense patterns, showing the author's sophisticated skills.

The painting techniques of Zhang Xuan and Han Yu, who used lines to outline the shape of a horse, became the leading figures in the establishment of the school, and painters of all generations have been influenced by them, especially Li Gonglin of the Song Dynasty and Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty. Li Gonglin's Five Horses and Zhao Yufu's People Riding Figure are not far from Zhang Han's.

The Song Dynasty was a prosperous period for the creation of calligraphy and painting in ancient China, with many talented people. The famous painter Zhao Yu-Fu's Man Riding Figure, which depicts a Xi official in a black hat and vermilion coat, walking on a bridle, with the character in an elegant manner, the steed modeled accurately and vividly, and the use of ancient, simple and elegant brushwork, is a masterpiece of Zhao Yu-Fu.

Li Gonglin was a famous painter of the Northern Song Dynasty, the "Master of White Drawing". Among Li Gonglin's heirloom works, the one most recognized as authentic is the Five Horses, which is also a representative work of his most artistic attainments and individual style. Although there is no name mark in the painting, the paper inscription and the postscript of Huang Tingjian, a close friend of Li Gonglin's during his lifetime, are sufficient proof of the authenticity of this painting. This painting was made on Chengxintang paper, with a single line hooked with ink brush and then slightly dyed with light ink, light and heavy strokes, with a sense of rhythm, fully expressing the spirit and texture of the horse. The Five Horses represents the appearance of five famous horses imported from the Western Regions and the scenes of Xi officials and horsemen serving the horses. The painting is a long scroll, divided into five sections. Each section is sketched with line drawings, using generalized, streamlined and fluent lines, assisted by very light colors. The Five Horses painting has had a great influence on later generations and has become the best model for painting saddle-horse figures.

The representative of modern horse painting is Lang Shining. Born in Milan, Italy, Lang Shining is a Chinese name. In 1715 AD (54th year of Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty), he was sent to China by the Portuguese Missionary Department of the Jesuits in Europe, and entered the court for service at the end of the Kangxi period. He was favored by the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties, and his career as an artist of the Chinese court lasted for several decades. His style of painting represented the court's artistic taste at that time, with the characteristics of "East meets West". In 1766 (the thirty-first year of Emperor Qianlong's reign), Lang Shining died in Beijing after a long illness, and the funeral ceremony was extremely honorable. The Qianlong Emperor issued a special decree, personally wrote an epitaph, and was buried outside the Fucheng Gate in Beijing.

Lang Shining specialized in animal paintings and created many horse pictures. The Eight Horses painting, which depicts eight horses in different postures under the green willow of smoke and clouds, is a masterpiece of horse paintings. Lang Shining another famous painting "hundred steeds" volume for the qing dynasty paintings, depicting a hundred steeds lying bins, each other eat, lick the horse, wade through the god of a hundred thousand, subtle and realistic, the original collection of the palace dai nei people can not view. Qing Puyi out of the Qing Palace for the Palace Museum, the party was able to flow, since then famous in the world of art.

Modern paintings of horses, Mr. Xu Beihong, he painted the "nine square gao" "galloping horse map" can be said to be known to women and children. Youth he painted the horse, show extraordinary, then the famous Lingnan school painter Gao Jianfu, Gao Qifeng brothers saw his horse picture, said with great appreciation: "although the ancient Han good offices, not to be over it!" He painted the horse both Western painting in the modeling, but also traditional Chinese painting in the writing, the integration of Chinese and Western painting in a stove, the ink and brush, the shape of the God are sufficient.