Excellent horse breeds in the history of China

The Origin and Evolution of China Horse Breeds

Puma was once thought to be the ancestor of the northern horse breeds in China. After more than 30 years of archaeological excavations and investigations, it has been proved that the ancestor of China horse is wild horse E.caballus, and the previous generation is E.samenensis, both of whom were born in the vast area of northern China. China Southern Horse originated from Yunnan Horse, and its fossils are distributed in a vast area centered on Sichuan and Yunnan.

Horse bones have been unearthed from Neolithic sites such as Ziya in Licheng, Shandong, Baiyin, Baiyin, Henan, and belong to Longshan culture. Ma Xia molars unearthed from Qijia early cultural site in Dahezhuang, Yongjing, Gansu, have been dated about 2000 BC after carbon dating correction, which is no different from modern horses. According to Zhouyi? Under the copula, Huangdi, Yao and Shun "lead the ox and ride a horse, indicating that the horse has been domesticated and used for service."

Ancient horses in China were generally taller than modern horses, and there were many so-called "swift horses" in the past dynasties. In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were 3,000 mares (horses) over six weeks old (today's 138cm). During the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, adult horses over five feet nine inches (now 135.7 cm) were forbidden to go out of the customs, which was exactly the same as the height of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses unearthed from the mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The standard for buying horses in Song Dynasty was 130.2~ 145.7 cm. Since the Ming Dynasty, due to the loss of war and the decline of horse industry, except for some excellent breeds in western minority areas, China horse breeds have shown 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. However, due to the changes in socio-economic conditions and ecological environment, the number of horses in traditional agricultural areas has decreased significantly in recent centuries.

Northwest horse-producing area

This area includes the ancient western regions, with rich grasslands, and people of all ethnic groups have always lived on animal husbandry and produced good horses. For more than two thousand years, it has been the main resource of good horses in China. Shaanxi and Gansu also have a long history of raising horses. Around 900 BC, the concubine became the ancestor of Qin State, and was famous for raising horses for Zhou in Shu and Wei States. After the Han and Tang Dynasties, large-scale national nutrition horse farms were mainly distributed in this area. After the Anshi Rebellion in Tang Dynasty, Longyou was trapped in Tubo, and animal husbandry was still developed. Song and Ming dynasties replaced the tea-horse system, importing tens of thousands of horses from northwest China to the mainland every year, including the Tang horse heritage. In the Ming Dynasty, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces were reclaimed to breed military horses and build racecourses until the Hexi Corridor was far away. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, racecourses were set up outside Xining to Jiayuguan, especially in Yili and Barkun, and stallions were also raised from Inner Mongolia and Yumen.

Horse-producing area in Saibei

The vast grassland north of the Great Wall is the ancient origin of Mongolian horse breeds. After the Warring States period, nomadic peoples such as Huns, Turks and Mongols rose here in succession, with huge horses. Through the trade, war and migration between ethnic groups, horses in this area were introduced to the Central Plains in large numbers from the Zhou and Qin Dynasties. For example, in the Tang Dynasty, a horse market was established in the north, and some horse workers even came from Lake Baikal. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, border towns such as Xuanhua and Datong allocated 34,000 horses to cities beyond the Great Wall every year, and allowed people to sell horses freely in the frontier fortress. From Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties to Qing Dynasty, Chahar grassland was the main horse-raising place. During the Yuan Dynasty, from southeastern Siberia to the lower reaches of the Yellow River via Chahar, the pastoral areas were divided into 12 large pastoral areas. The Qing Dynasty organized Mongols to develop horses throughout Chahar, and most of the national military horses were taken from here.

Southwest horse-producing area

Horse breeding in southwest China, including Tibet, can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Bashu merchants in Han Dynasty have been trading horses and other livestock products here. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Mayuan was established in Sichuan, Yunnan and other places. In the Song Dynasty, horse resources in southwest China were paid more attention. In the tea-horse trade from the Northern Song Dynasty to the late Ming Dynasty, Ma Shu and Yun Gui Ma, represented by Dali Horse, were the main targets. Southwest horses are suitable for the ecological environment in mountainous areas, and there are many valuable horses, but they are not as good as northern horses in military use. According to Guihai Zhi Heng? According to animal records, the height of the fruit in the south is no more than three feet, and it is best produced in Deqing, Guangdong.

Guandong horse producing area

Northeast China is also an important horse-producing area in the history of China. Donghu in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, followed by Xianbei and Wuhuan, were riding and hunting tribes. The Fuyu people in Nenjiang River and Songhua River basins in the east of Xianbei mainly farm and also produce famous horses. After the establishment of Liao and Jin by Khitan and Nuzhen, a large-scale grazing organization appeared. Liao raised more than1100,000 sets, while the seven livestock farms only raised 470,000 sets. Ming Yongle set up a horse market in Liaodong and other places to buy horses from Songhua River to Heilongjiang, and set up a horse temple in Liaodong to manage horses. In the early Qing Dynasty, racecourses were also established in Northeast China, but the horse industry declined obviously. Later, due to a large number of immigrants and the urgent need for animal power, the horse industry developed again. The three northeastern provinces have become the regions with the largest number of horses in China in the past 100 years.

Zhongyuan horse area

Since ancient times, horses have been riding in the Central Plains. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, raising horses became a common practice, and then it once declined. The migration of grassland nationalities to the south has revived the animal husbandry in the Central Plains. However, due to the introduction of a large number of Mongolian horse breeds, the original horse breeds gradually disappeared. Yanmenguan, Shanxi is the entrance of Saibei horse breeds. In the Tang Dynasty, there was a shepherd in Hedong (now Shanxi), and horses were abundant. The pastoral supervisors in the Northern Song Dynasty were mainly distributed in the Central Plains, with as many as 14 in its heyday. However, some animal husbandry supervisors have contradictions with the planting industry and poor management, which leads to a downward trend; However, judging from the number of horses plundered by Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties after a long-term invasion of this area, folk horse raising is still considerable. Wang Anshi's horse protection law in the Northern Song Dynasty and official herding in the Ming Dynasty were mainly implemented here. It was not until the Qing Dynasty that folk horse raising was banned, the population was increasing and the grassland was insufficient that the horse raising industry in the Central Plains collapsed.

Southeast horse-producing area

China is known as "Southern Boat North Horse", and the horse industry in the southeast is underdeveloped, but it is not absolutely inappropriate to raise horses. For example, at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the horses of Wu in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River developed rapidly because they needed chariots. From Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty, racecourses were established in southern Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei and other places. In the early Ming Dynasty, 14 animal husbandry supervisor was set up between Jianghuai and southern Jiangsu, which was unprecedented in the history of southern China.

Changes in the use of horses

Horses were originally raised to eat meat. Horses were used as sacrifices in the Yin Dynasty. Mu Biography records that when going to the Western Ocean, Qinghai tribes once offered "eating horses". Later, due to the importance of horses in military affairs and post transportation, they were no longer used as sacrifices and funerals, and the slaughter of horses was also prohibited. According to "Zhou Li? According to Xia Guan, the main uses of Ma Zhou can be divided into six categories: stallion for breeding, military horse for military use, Ma Qi for ritual sacrifice, knife horse for post station, Ma Tian for hunting, and Ma Xu can only be used as handyman. According to the system of the Zhou Dynasty, only Zhou Wang could raise six kinds at the same time; The governor is not allowed to advance two categories, and the doctor is only allowed to mention the last two categories. This constraint was broken in the Spring and Autumn Period.

About the origin and evolution of various uses of horses, according to Zhouyi? Under the copula and Tongdian in the Tang Dynasty? According to Li, the carriage was invented by Huangdi and Yaoshun. The carriage structure unearthed in Yin Ruins is quite complete. During the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, wagons were widely used for fighting, hunting and carrying. The origin of Ma Geng can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. Han's Theory of Salt and Iron? It is a fact that "agriculture plowed with horses" in the Han Dynasty. "The ancients" said that horses "pulled the yoke when they walked, and plowed when they stopped". It is difficult to know when cycling started. However, its wide application in production and war undoubtedly began with nomadic people in the north. During the Warring States Period, countries in the Central Plains changed their chariots into cavalry in order to deal with northern riders. Wuling's "Hufu Riding and Shooting" is an obvious example. Post horses have always been second only to army horses. Because ancient land transportation mainly relied on post stations, no matter whether it was a post ride or a post car, it was inseparable from horses. There were post stations in the Spring and Autumn Period, which were more developed in the Han and Tang Dynasties. In the Tang dynasty, there were post stations every 30 miles, and each station was equipped with 8 ~ 75 horses. In the Yuan Dynasty, the khanates were connected by post. The Travels of Marco Polo says that there are 20-400 horses in each post station, and there are 300,000 post horses in China. In addition, horses are also used for sports. Equestrian performances have appeared in rock paintings reflecting the life of nomadic people in the north in Langshan area of Inner Mongolia. In the Central Plains, equestrian began to appear in court entertainment in the Han Dynasty, and it developed unprecedentedly in the Tang Dynasty, including horse riding and acting, horse riding and dancing, horse racing and so on. Polo originated in Tibet, prevailed in the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty, and developed into a military sport in the Ming Dynasty. As for drinking horse milk, it has been popular among grassland people since ancient times and was introduced to the Central Plains in Qin and Han Dynasties. Special officials and craftsmen were set up in the Han Palace to make koumiss for the royal family to drink and then spread to the people. Because of its sweet taste, it was highly praised by ancient doctors.

Development of horse breeding technology

China's traditional horse-raising technology is rich in content, and it has been applied to the people for a long time before it was introduced to western France, with outstanding results. Except for many lost people, there are mainly: 1. Equestrian events. During the Spring and Autumn Period, famous Xiangma artists such as Bole and Jiufanggao came forth in large numbers, and they wrote Xiangma Jing. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty stood in Chang 'an according to the "Golden Horse" cast by Dawanma. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ma Yuan wrote the Law of Copper Horse and cast a model of copper horse in front of Luoyang Palace. Since then, works about Xiang Ma have been published for thousands of years, such as Xiang Bao Jin Qu written in the Tang Dynasty and adapted in the Ming Dynasty. 2. Castration. 3. Feeding, breeding and training methods. Wu Qi, a strategist in the Warring States period, had a summary discussion on raising horses in the pre-Qin period. The Book of Qi Yao Min in the Northern Wei Dynasty pointed out that raising horses requires "three foods and three drinks", which was also learned by later generations. In raising horses, the method of rectal pregnancy examination was adopted in Tang and Song Dynasties, and there was a registration and declaration system. There was another development in the Ming Dynasty. The methods of controlling fertilizer and training good horses of ethnic minorities in the north and southwest are very distinctive. The harness invented by Mongols and the rope-ring horse catching method in northwest China are still in use today. 4. Improvement of horse breeds. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Dawanma and Wusun horses were introduced from the western regions, which were mainly used as stallions in addition to imperial use, and can be regarded as arrows for the improvement of horse breeds in China. From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there were good horses introduced from the western regions, including Dawan horse, Persian horse and various tribute horses from Saibei grassland tribe. After crossing, Tang Ma became strong. Today, the local varieties of Hequma and the north and south of Qilian Mountain are the legacy of Tangma.

Evolution of horse management

Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty recorded Ma Xiaochen who was in charge of horses in Shang Dynasty. Historically, the establishment of the government's unified management of the national military forces was first brewed in the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou Li's school administrators, priests, teachers, riders, fun horses, witch horses and other functions are responsible for horse grazing, feeding, training, riding and health care. In addition to raising horses by the Zhou royal family and princes, they also levied horses from the lower classes to pay for the army. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were words like "home of a thousand riders" and "country of a thousand riders", in which horses and chariots represented wealth. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the border counties opened gardens to raise horses and established Taibu Temple, which led to the formation of horse administration organs. The position of servant has also changed from the royal servant of the king of Zhou to the chief officer, with the rank of Jiuqing. Since the Northern Dynasties, Taibu Temple has been in charge of animal husbandry such as camels, cattle and sheep.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there was a pastoral supervisor in Longyou. In addition to the Taibu Temple, which is in charge of the national animal husbandry, a post-horse driver's department was set up to collect books of officials, private horses, cattle and miscellaneous animals for the examination.

In the Song Dynasty, besides Taibu Temple and Driving Division, there were herding animals. The government also established the Chama Temple to exchange tea for horses of ethnic minorities in the west. Wang Anshi initiated the law of protecting horses by officials and people, but it was soon abolished, and later he turned to the system of people's herding. The horse administration institutions in Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties basically followed the system of Tang and Song Dynasties, mainly raising horses outside the Great Wall and plundering people's horses. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, horse administration was implemented all over the country, and horse farms were set up in Shaanxi, Gansu and Liaodong, and the government and the people jointly managed animal husbandry in agricultural areas. Taibu Temple, Ma Yuan Temple and Xingtaipu Temple perform their respective duties and are unified in the Ministry of War. Later, due to the decrease of grassland, officials were out of order and no results were achieved. During the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, the folk horse-raising in the mainland was suppressed and the horse-raising industry declined. Only in Chahar and other places have a number of horse farms been set up, and the government has set up Taibu Temple and Shangyuan to take charge of the horse farms outside the mouth. The military reform in the late Qing Dynasty merged the horse administration institutions that lasted for more than 2,000 years into the Military Animal Husbandry Department, but the upper court remained until the demise of the Qing Dynasty.

After the Revolution of 1911, the Army Horse Division was established in the War Department. 1936, the Military and Pastoral Division of the Military and Political Department of Nanjing Government was expanded into the Ma Zhengsi. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the horse industry was dominated by the agricultural department of the government, and the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army of China once set up a horse management bureau to preside over the breeding and improvement of military horses and civilian horses respectively.

Why do China people choose horses in the zodiac? Obviously, horses have been friends of human beings for a long time. China has a history of civilization of more than 5,000 years, and it is much worse without horses. There is a beautiful fairy tale in history that "God horse carries books". In the Book of Changes, it is said that "a river paints a picture, and Luo paints a book". "Historical Records" says that "Fu wins the world, and the dragon and horse draw a picture from the river." According to legend, in Fu, a dragon horse appeared from the Yellow River with a "river map" on it; A turtle appeared from Luoshui, carrying Luo Shu, and Fuxi drew eight diagrams according to the "map" and "book" carried by the dragon and horse turtle, which became the source of Zhouyi. The legend also tells the story of "eight horses". Zhou Muwang recorded in Notes on the Collection: "Wang Yu is the crown of the Eight Dragons, one Jedi, two feathering, three nights flying, four super shadows, five over-photos, six over-photos, seven over-fogs, eight holding wings, also known as the' Eight Masters'."

In ancient times, the emphasis on a good horse led to many well-known stories, such as the allusion of "an old horse knows its way" and the philosophical argument that "a white horse is not a horse". Qin Mugong's Bole and Jiufanggao were horse racing masters at that time, but today's Bole has become synonymous with discovering and cultivating talents. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also cast the standard size of a good horse into a "bronze horse French style" and stood outside Luban Gate in Chang 'an. 1973 The Silk Book "Xiangma Jing" unearthed in Mawangdui No.3 Han Tomb is the earliest monograph on Xiangma.

Because people love horses, horses have become the object of painting art. Since Oracle Bone Inscriptions, people have regarded horses as the main body of artistic expression. However, in the pre-Qin period, the image of horse had no independent position in function, use or artistic creation.

I'm afraid horses will have sex with humans from labor. But horses began to appear not because of labor, but because of war. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were frequent wars and rivers of blood in the history of China, in which car wars accounted for a large part. Ma Ziran played an important role in the car war. In the era dominated by bronzes, we can often see bronze heavy objects such as Zun, Yunwen Rhino Zun or Siyangfang Zun, and even statues of pigs, with few shapes of horses. It was only in the Qin Dynasty that the Qin terracotta warriors, bronze chariots and horses, and the Qin Dynasty bronze carriage, known as the "eighth wonder of the world", were amazing. Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the reappearance of Qiang Bing, the powerful force that Qin Shihuang swept Liuhe. The mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor consists of three pits, where 8000 terracotta warriors and horses are buried. Among them, the formation of the No.1 pit is the most spectacular, with 6000 troops.

1980 65438+In February, two painted bronze chariots and horses were found in the chariot pit on the west side of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum. It is the earliest and most complicated bronze chariots and horses discovered in China so far, and it is a unique ancient bronze treasure. This kind of car, with four horses neck and neck and a canopy, is the ancient famous "recalling the horse's safe ride" and "recalling the horse's words" These two bronze chariots and horses are complete in shape and complete in driving equipment, which is equivalent to half of the real chariots and horses. Among them, the second bronze chariot horse weighs 124 1 kg, and the four bronze horses in front of it are about 1 10 cm in length, which is realistic in shape and reasonable in anatomical relationship. The bronze statue in front of the car, white-collar workers in colorful clothes, with their arms protruding like bridles. The bridle headband and bridle rope are connected by bronze pieces, which has a strong texture.

The complexity, diversity and arduousness of bronze chariots and horses are shocking. The vehicle consists of 3462 parts and 3962 interfaces. The process is very delicate and complicated. More than 3000 parts are basically cast, filed and polished. Among them, gold and silver components and ornaments 1720 pieces are luxurious, solemn and elegant, and the workmanship is extremely fine. Color patterns are painted around the car wall and oval roof, with smooth lines and strong three-dimensional sense, just like mosaics. It not only left a brand-new record in the history of bronzes, but also occupied an important position in the art history of China. It is a rare treasure that has never been found in archaeological materials before.

The granite stone carving in front of Huoqubing Tomb in the Western Han Dynasty is located in the northwest of Daochang Village, Taiping County, Shaanxi Province, and is a masterpiece of carving art in the early Han Dynasty. Huo Qubing was a famous general in the Western Han Dynasty. Six times in five years, he led the troops to counterattack the Huns' invasion, and won six out of six wars. He made immortal contributions to relieve the military threat of Xiongnu to the Han Dynasty and open up the road to the western regions, but he died young at the age of 24. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gave him a good burial. Fourteen stone carvings in front of the tomb are mainly animals, and only the images of horses are: stepping on the Xiongnu, prancing on the horse and lying on the horse. The author uses fable to symbolize the heroic spirit of the young general with a majestic and proud horse.

"Treading the Xiongnu" once again experienced the freehand brushwork and vividness of China's sculpture art, and this semi-finished product seems a bit clumsy. The lower body without hollowing out makes people feel like a heavy stone. Although the horse is rough, it still has the potential of agility. The lightly carved strokes are horse legs, which are integrated with the upper body of the horse. There is no superfluous stone without hollowing out, but there is a complete image of a horse.

After the Han dynasty, the shapes of horses in funerary objects increased. 1969 The bronze "Malone Chaoque" (also known as Mata Yan Fei) unearthed from the Eastern Han Tomb in Leitai, Wuwei, Gansu Province is a carved horse. The horse's body proportion is accurate, the shape is vivid, the tail is raised high and the tail runs. The horse's bodybuilding gives people a sense of flying space. It symbolizes that the sky is dark, Ma Rufei. Three hooves fly, one hoof flies. Because of its good gravity balance, although its whole body is only concentrated on its rear left foot, it is still very stable.

The subtlety of "Flying Swallows on Horses" lies in its ingenious conception. In order to express the theme of "flying in the sky", the sculptor can be said to have tried his best to imagine such a shape that can make Ma Feiyan. The heavy and huge body driving force of the horse is in sharp contrast with the small and flexible body shape of the swallow, thus achieving the effect of lifting weights easily, and the heavy body of the horse becomes light and flexible. Although stepping on a swallow under a horse's foot is the basis for the horse's body to achieve balance, this is not the focus of this work. What is important is that this work successfully shows the galloping state of the horse, and every detail is not wasted. "Ma Long Chao Que" also shows that the horse began to be truly independent from the chariot. With its extraordinary imagination and exaggerated artistic techniques, it became the pinnacle of China's art, and its image appeared on the stamps of New China three times.

Tri-colored pottery in Tang Dynasty is the essence of pottery in Tang Dynasty, and it is a bright pearl in ancient pottery in China. Tang Sancai is a kind of low-temperature glazed pottery, which is made of ordinary clay. After adding different metal oxides into the glaze, it is baked to form light yellow, ochre yellow, light green, dark green, sky blue, brown red, eggplant purple and other colors, with yellow, brown and green as the basic glaze colors. Therefore, later generations called this kind of pottery "Three Colors of the Tang Dynasty". Tri-color in the Tang Dynasty reached its peak in the early and prosperous Tang Dynasty. After the Anshi Rebellion, with the gradual decline of the Tang Dynasty and the rapid development of porcelain, the production of tricolor utensils gradually declined. Later, "Liao Sancai" and "Jin Sancai" were produced, but they were far inferior to Tang Sancai in quantity, quality and artistry.

The glaze of Tang tri-colored glaze has the effect of changing shades, mutual penetration and mottling. In the mutual reflection of colors, it shows magnificent artistic charm. The tricolor horses in the Tang Dynasty are not only magnificent in color, but also round and full in shape and elegant in shape, from which we can see the times of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. There are many kinds of tri-color paintings in Tang Dynasty, including figures, animals and daily utensils. Among all kinds of animal statues, horses and camels are the most. There were so many horses and camels in Tri-color in Tang Dynasty, which coincided with the social development history at that time and also reflected the developed transportation industry at that time. 1957 The tricolor and tricolor horse unearthed from Yu Tinghui's tomb in Xi 'an County is the representative work of tricolor horse in Tang Dynasty.

The word tri-color in Tang Dynasty can't be found in ancient literature, and the earliest record was in the Republic of China. At the beginning of this century, 1905- 1909, during the construction of the Longhai Railway, a number of tombs of the Tang Dynasty were discovered in Mangshan, Luoyang, and a large number of works of the Tang Dynasty were unearthed. This batch of tri-color Tang Dynasty was transported to Beijing market, which attracted the attention of antique researchers at home and abroad and the favor of antique dealers. Since then, the world has known the name of Tang Sancai. Since the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the name Tang Sancai has been in use for a long time. Of course, most professional researchers call it "Tang glazed pottery". Strictly speaking, the latter is more scientific, because from the perspective of technology, the three colors of Tang Dynasty are "glaze" rather than "color", but this is a well-established name and has a wide influence, so this name has been retained.

The horse is on the battlefield of war, charging and galloping. Myths and legends left by many heroes. Huo Qubing stepped on the Xiongnu horse in front of the tomb, and the six horses in Zhaoling in front of Emperor Taizong's tomb were all ancient sculptors in China, who left this passionate life with immortal shapes on hard rocks. The most representative of the artistic level of stone carving in Tang Dynasty is the relief "Six Horses in Zhaoling" by Emperor Taizong of Shaanxi Province. Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, fought in the south and north, and rode six fine horses to the battlefield. His long-term career made Li Shimin of Emperor Taizong have an indissoluble bond with the war horse. In the tenth year of Zhenguan (636), the construction of Zhaoling was started. Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, issued an imperial edict asking famous craftsman Yan Lide and artist Yan Li to design a chisel. The six war horses he rode in the war were carved on a large bluestone with a width of 2 meters and a height of 1.5 meters by Buddhist high-meat relief method. Six horses are arranged symmetrically in the east and west, with "dew purple" and "fist hair" in the east. In the west, white hoofs and black feet are "stone cutting", "ear cleaning" and "Tele". The six horses in Zhaoling show Li Shimin's heroic stance in the great battle to create the Tang Empire. The six horses have different postures, are bold and unusual, have simple and vigorous techniques, and are beautifully carved, which highly embodies the artistic level of ancient sculptures in China.

"Six Horses in Zhaoling" have their own names, postures and characteristics, and their works are mainly realistic. Whispering Purple depicts Qiu Xinggong drawing an arrow for Whispering Purple. "Salouzi" looks calm, with upright front legs, tense shoulders and neck due to pain, and slightly leaning back, showing active cooperation with rescuers. In 62 1 year, Tang Jun and Wang fought a decisive battle in Luoyang and fell into the enemy line. Fortunately, a bodyguard Qiu came to escort. He gave his mount to Li Shimin, holding a "house search" in one hand and a knife in the other, shouting to protect Li Shimin from the encirclement. In order to commemorate this event, Emperor Taizong specially ordered someone to carve this war horse for Qiu. The other five horses, each with a picture, stood, walked slowly and galloped. Their images are different and lifelike.

There are "purple dew" and "fist hair" in "Zhaoling Six Horses" Two reliefs, 19 14, were smashed and packed by American cultural relics smugglers in collusion with national scum and stolen to the United States. They are now in the museum of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and now they are the best preserved. 19 17 years, the other four people were broken, ready to be stolen again, transported to Tongguan, and intercepted and recovered by local patriots. Now it is preserved in the Forest of Steles Museum in Xi, Shaanxi, becoming a rare treasure.

China's painting about horses also began in the Tang Dynasty. The most famous horse painters in Tang Dynasty were Cao Ba, Natalie and Han Wo. Cao Ba's paintings were called "Nine Dragons Out" by Du Fu. Zhang Xuan, a painter in the Tang Dynasty, created You Chuntu, the wife of the State of Guo, depicting the idleness of the third sister who was favored by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The horses in the painting are rich and complete, with fine lines, elegant colors and rich decorations.

Han Wo, who lived in the Xuanzong period of the Tang Dynasty, was discovered and appreciated by Wang Wei when he was young, and funded him to learn painting. He eventually became a famous horse painter. At the beginning of Tianbao, he was called into the palace to offer sacrifices to the court. At that time, Chen worshipped painting horses for some time, and Xuanzong ordered Han Wo to follow Chen's example. However, when Xuanzong asked him why, Han Wo replied, "I have my own teacher, and now it is your majesty's stable." It can be seen that he pays attention to learning, observes life, and does not stick to the rules. Most of the horses painted by Han Wo are imperial horses, which reflect the theme of hunting and entertainment of emperors and nobles. They are fleshy and show few bones and muscles. The works that have been handed down to this day include "Wrapping the Horse" and "A White Night".

"Wrapping Horses" depicts two black and white horses. An official wears a hoe and walks slowly with the reins in his hand. The horses are fat and majestic. The whole painting has no background, strong generality, concise brushwork, slender lines, elegant colors, both form and spirit, and dense clothing patterns.

Zhang Xuan and Han Wo's painting techniques of sketching horses with lines have become the best of the school, and painters of all ages have been influenced by them, especially Li in the Song Dynasty and Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty. Li's Wu Ma Tu and Zhao Yuxi's Man Riding Tu are inseparable from Han Qizong.

The Song Dynasty was the prosperous period of China's ancient calligraphy and painting creation, and talented people came forth in large numbers. The famous painter Zhao's "Rider" painted a red coat and a black hat and followed the footsteps. The characters are vivid and vivid, and the horse's style is accurate and vivid. This simple and elegant pen is Zhao's masterpiece.

Li is a famous painter in the Northern Song Dynasty, and he is known as the "master of sketching". Among Li's handed down works, the most authentic one is Five Horses, which is also his masterpiece with the most artistic attainments and personality style. Although this painting is anonymous, the inscription and postscript of his best friend Huang Tingjian before his death are enough to prove the authenticity of this painting. This painting is slightly faded after being hooked with a single-line ink pen on the paper of Chengxintang. Very rhythmic, fully expressing the spirit and texture of the horse. The Five Horses Map shows the scene of five famous horses paying tribute to the Western Regions and the scene of Guan and the groom waiting for their horses. Draw a long scroll and divide it into five paragraphs. Each part is drawn by line drawing, with simple and smooth lines and extremely light color assistance. Wumatu has a great influence on later generations and has become the best model for later generations to draw pommel horse figures.

The representative of modern horse painting is Ranzining. Lang Shining was born in Milan, Italy, and Lang Shining is a China name. 17 15 years (fifty-four years of Qing emperor Kangxi), was sent to China by the Portuguese missionary department of the European Jesuits, and entered the DPRK in the last years of Kangxi. After being favored by Emperor Kangxi and Yong Zhengdi, he worked as a court artist in China for decades. His painting style represents the artistic taste of the court at that time and has the characteristics of "combining Chinese and western". Lang Shining died in Beijing on 1766 (the 31st year of Qing Qianlong), and the funeral was extremely tragic. Emperor Qianlong specially wrote an epitaph and buried it outside the city gate of Beijing.

Lang Shining is good at animal painting and has created many horse paintings. Eight Horses is a painting of eight horses in Liu Xiahui, with different postures and deliberate depiction, which can be described as a masterpiece of horses. Another famous painting by Lang Shining, Hundred Horses Map, is a masterpiece of Qing Dynasty, which depicts a hundred horses kneeling, eating each other and licking their horses. It's wonderful and lifelike, and it's impossible to watch the original Tibetan palace, Ouribibido. Qing Puyi left, and the Qing Palace was the Palace Museum, so that she could browse, and then she became famous in the world art world.

Mr. Xu Beihong is the first master of modern horse painting. His Jiufang Cake and Ma Bentu are well known to women and children. When he was young, all the horses he painted were extraordinary. At that time, Gao He, a famous Lingnan painter, saw his horse map and praised it greatly. He said, "Although it was ancient in Korea, it is beyond reproach!" The horses he painted not only have the shapes in western paintings, but also have the freehand brushwork in China traditional paintings. He is good at blending Chinese and western paintings, and has both form and spirit.