Ferghana horses were one of China’s earliest major imports, originating in an area in Central Asia. These horses, were depicted on Tang dynasty pottery. The Han dynasty bronze statuette Gansu Flying Horse is most likely a depiction of this breed.

Dayuan, north of Bactria, was a nation centered in the Ferghana Valley of present-day Central Asia, and even as early as the Han dynasty, China projected its military power to that area. The Han imperial regime required Ferghana horses and imported such great numbers of them that the rulers of Ferghana closed their borders to such trade. The Ferghana horse »»