中国古代车与马之关系

The Correlation between Carriage and Horse in Ancient China

中国古代的车是人民群众集体智慧的结晶。其主要功用体现在:作战、巡守出行、交通运输。古代车与马的关系十分密切,有车必有马,有马必有车。用车制度、车的形制及驾马的毛色、用马数量都有“别尊卑,定上下”的作用,是主人身份和地位的象征,具有丰富的文化学意义。

The ' wu' in ancient China was the crystal of people's wisdom, whose functions were battling on enemy, patrolling, communications and transportation. In that time, there was a strong correlation between carriage and horse, that is, horse never appeared without carriage. The equipage system, the fashion of carriage, the color of the horseskin, and the number of horses, all these were the symbol of the owners'social status, which had profound cultural implication.