The explorer Zhang Qian had told Emperor Wudi (Han Dynasty) that there was a special breed of horses of great stamina in the Fergana Valley, which would equip China with a formidable cavalry. Delighted, the emperor allowed the trading of silk with the inhabitants of the Fergana region, which led to what would become the Silk Road. A first-century B.C. poem, part of the chronicle of China’s history, the Shiji, marks the arrival of the first of these steeds:
The heavenly horses arrive from the Western frontier
Having traveled 10,000 li, they come with great virtue.
With loyal spirit, they defeat foreign nations
And crossing the deserts, all barbarians succumb in their wake!
Later, during the Tang period, the horse became a status symbol, a kind of sports car of its day. The breed, however, no longer exists and is preserved only in paintings and sculptures. (source: National Geographic)
