The iconic "Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow" is a widely recognized cultural relic, celebrated for its dynamic depiction of a steed with three hooves aloft, its rear hoof lightly touching a bird mid-flight. This artifact, officially named the Bronze Galloping Horse, was excavated from the Leitai Han Tomb in Wuwei, Gansu Province. Its remarkable craftsmanship, allowing it to balance on a single hoof for centuries, is a testament to ancient skill. The 2026 "Happy Spring Festival" mascot, "Auspicious Horse," draws direct inspiration from this masterpiece.
The discovery in Gansu is no coincidence, as the province shares a deep and ancient bond with horses. Archaeological theories suggest domestic horses were introduced to China from abroad, with the Gansu-Qinghai region in the upper Yellow River basin likely serving as a key corridor. The Qin dynasty's ancestors, rewarded with land in present-day Gansu for their expertise in horse breeding, rose from the western frontier to unify China. The terracotta legions of the First Emperor's mausoleum further highlight this connection.
During the Han and Tang dynasties, Gansu was a crucial center for imperial horse administration, with vast pastures in Longyou and Hexi, and a golden section of the Silk Road bustling with caravans. This historical context solidifies Gansu's status as a premier province for "horse relics." Beyond the bronze horse, Gansu's arid climate has preserved exquisite wooden horses from the Han and Jin periods, such as those from the Mozuizi Han Tomb in Wuwei. These wooden figures, contrasting with the bronze steed's speed, exude a sense of leisurely calm.
Han dynasty bamboo slips from the northwest are replete with references to horses, covering breeding and veterinary care. Slips from the Xuanguan Zhi site list over 200 horse names, while others detail imperial missions to welcome famed "heavenly horses" from Central Asia. Although horse imagery is abundant in Han pictorial stones from Shandong and Henan, Hexi's painted bricks flourished later, during the Wei and Jin periods, depicting horses in scenes of travel, hunting, and herding. The "Courier" mural, showing a horse in full gallop, is a prime example.
Dunhuang's grotto murals feature both earthly steeds and celestial horses. The late Tang "Procession of General Zhang Yichao" in Mogao Cave 156 masterfully portrays a vast, orderly cavalry. Tang dynasty sancai glazed ceramics often included horse figures, reflecting the diverse travelers on the Silk Road, as seen in a sancai equestrian figure of a Central Asian man unearthed in Qin'an.
From the Han onwards, renowned artists specialized in painting horses, a tradition celebrated by poets like Du Fu and continued by masters such as Han Gan, Li Gonglin, and Zhao Mengfu. In modern times, Xu Beihong's powerful depictions became symbols of national spirit. The horse's symbolic form, evolving from oracle bone script, retains its spirited essence. While modern life has moved beyond horse-drawn transport, the animal's profound contribution to civilization endures. Cultural relics silently narrate this history, serving as vessels of equine culture and spirit, inspiring a leap forward into a new era.