The Shuowen Jiezi states: "Cong refers to a horse with a blue-white mixed coat." Famed steeds like the Azure C…
The Shuowen Jiezi states: "Cong refers to a horse with a blue-white mixed coat." Famed steeds like the Azure Colt and Jade Flower Cong all bore this coloring. Another theory suggests Cong symbolized a "land dragon," a metaphor for incredible speed, which is why pure blue or white Tuyuhun horses were so highly valued.
Legends say the Ganlong region produced fine "Qin Horses" as early as the Qin Dynasty. Later, the Tuyuhun people settled there to graze their herds. According to the Book of Sui, a myth tells of a Persian stallion that bred with a local mare near Qinghai Lake, producing a Cong colt that could run a thousand li a day. This legendary colt became known as the Tuyuhun Horse.
Muscular and well-proportioned, the Tuyuhun Horse is strong yet gentle and easy to train. These horses are highly social, moving in herds led by a dominant stallion. With keen ears and sharp eyes, they are intelligent, alert, and fiercely loyal to both their kind and their master. Suited for riding and light draft work, they became one of the most common breeds in the Central Plains.