During the Yuanxiao (Filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour for Lantern Festival), the popularity of "horse worship" in the Shanxi Museum continued unabated. The reporter walked into the Shanxi Museum to visit cultural relics related to horses, experiencing the profound heritage of horse culture in Chinese civilization and the intersection and integration of Eastern and Western civilizations. The element of "horse" runs through the evolution history of northern Chinese civilization, from the jade horse in the Western Zhou ritual system, to the shoulder bearing double winged horse from the Silk Road, and to the white porcelain horse in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In the exhibition hall of "Xiangma - Horse Cultural Relics Special Exhibition" at Shanxi Museum, a Western Zhou jade horse unearthed in Quwo, Shanxi attracts visitors to stop and admire. This jade horse is green with a yellowish tint, with a warm and moist jade texture. It is about 5 centimeters tall and only half the size of a palm. Its owner was the second wife of Marquis Jinmu, a mysterious "collector" who was buried with over 800 jade artifacts. It symbolizes diligence, courage, and wisdom. ”Shanxi Museum guide Liu Lin introduced that the jade horse carving is exquisite, and the double hook Yin line technique is used at the muscle movement, reflecting the superb skills of the jade craftsmen in the Jin Dynasty. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, horses were a symbol of ritual and military strength, with jade representing the virtue of a gentleman. Jade and horses integrated the two, carrying the connotation of the Western Zhou ritual and music civilization. More than two thousand years later, this jade horse leaped from the palm of the Lady of Jin into the South Pacific and became the main design on Fiji's 2026 Year of the Horse stamp. The opening of the Silk Road injected exotic charm into horse culture. In the "National Melting Pot" exhibition hall, the stone coffin of Yu Hong's tomb unearthed in Taiyuan in 1999 is displayed quietly. This White Marble outer coffin has more than 50 bas reliefs, and the image of horse is seen in travel, hunting and other themes. Liu Lin introduced that the tomb owner Yu Hong was a Central Asian Sogdian who had gone through the Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, and Sui dynasties and was in charge of foreign affairs entering China. The tombs are full of Western style art, and the characters in the paintings are all images of Hu people with high noses and deep eyes. In the reliefs, the horses are either standing still or galloping, and there are also two heavenly horses with shoulder wings and hind legs transformed into fish tails and flower tails, which may be related to Yu Hong's religious beliefs. "Over hundreds of years, the Tang Dynasty white porcelain horse riding figurines pushed horse culture to a new peak. A white porcelain horse riding figurine unearthed in Shanxi Museum, with a height of less than 10 centimeters, is entirely coated with pure white glaze and comes from the Xing kiln of the Tang Dynasty. It represents the pinnacle of white porcelain craftsmanship, resembling silver and snow, and also embodies the spirit of white horse worship in the Tang Dynasty. It is only half the size of a palm, and the Tang people loved white porcelain, which is universally used regardless of social status. ”Shanxi Museum guide Wang Yunjing said that this white porcelain horse riding figurine was a common burial item in the Tang Dynasty. White porcelain from Xing kiln was not only favored by nobles, but also popular among ethnic minorities. "The white porcelain white horse reflects the confidence and freedom of the Tang people. From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the "horse" cultural relics in Shanxi Museum not only showcase the exquisite skills of ancient people, but also become a window to explore the history of the integration of Chinese civilization. Nowadays, these cultural relics have entered contemporary life in a new way: the Western Zhou jade horse "leaped" onto Fiji stamps, becoming a messenger of cultural exchange between China and foreign countries; Horse cultural relics attract young audiences to "check in" and share their "horse portrait" experiences on social media; Cultural and creative products incorporate horse elements into daily life, allowing ancient "horses" to continue galloping in the new era. (New Society)