We mourn over a life lost so young, of all the missed opportunities and living his potential. But Huo Qubing in his short military career fought some of the most brilliant calvary battles against the Xiongnu.
National Treasure 国宝
The Statue Of A Horse Trampling A Xiongnu Barbarian 茂陵马踏匈奴石雕
Stone | Western Han (202 BC – 8 AD) | Dimensions – H: 1.68m, L: 1.9m | Shaanxi History Museum, Replica of Mao Mausoleum Huo Qubing Tomb 石雕｜西汉（前202年—8年）｜ 高1.68米，长1.9米 | 陕西历史博物馆，复刻茂陵霍去病墓。
The statue of a horse trampling a Xiongnu barbarian, from the tomb of the Han Dynasty General Huo Qubing 霍去病 (140-117 BC) near Xi’an, is one of the most famous Han Dynasty sculptures.
Han China is notoriously known for its barbarian relations, particularly for its long conflicts with the Xiongnu, nomadic tribes that inhabited much of the territory of modern day Mongolia. As the first long-lasting unified Chinese dynasty, the Han created what is known today as the Chinese empire. They dealt
with the ideas of expansion and the problem of spreading Chinese influence over the entire area of East Asia. The Han were also known for the fact that they were strong-armed by the the Xiongnu, they wished to conquer for a full sixty years.
The Xiongnu confederacy rose to power within Inner Mongolia around the same
time as the Han dynasty emerged from the ashes of the fallen Qin in the early second century B.C.E. The nomads felt that there was a definite threat from a resurgent Chinese empire. As a result, the Xiongnu created a powerful nomadic empire – the likes of which would not be seen again until the Mongols and Genghis Khan in the 13th century C.E. Through force and fear they would extort the Han government into an embarrassing treaty that would become a blight on Chinese foreign policy for years.
Huo Qubing was a nephew of the general Wei Qing and Empress Wei Zifu (Emperor Wu’s wife), and a half-brother of the statesman Huo Guang. Along with Wei Qing, he led a campaign into the Gobi Desert of what is now Mongolia to defeat the Xiongnu nomadic confederation, winning decisive victories such as the Battle of Mobei in 119 BC. Huo Qubing was one of the most legendary commanders in Chinese history, and still lives on in Chinese culture today.
Huo Qubing died in 117 BC at the early age of 23. After Huo Qubing’s death, the aggrieved Emperor Wu ordered the elite troops from the five border commanderies to line up all the way from Chang’an to Maoling, where Huo Qubing’s tomb was constructed in the shape of the Qilian Mountains to commemorate his military achievements.
About Huo Qubing’s Military Campaigns
卫青、霍去病所征战的地方主要在甘肃西部、河套、祁连山一带，最远的一次是发生在公元前119年（汉武帝元狩四年）的漠北之战。霍去病深入大漠两千余里，过狼居胥山，临瀚海而还。他的奔袭是从河北蔚县向北，经呼伦湖或贝加尔湖后返回。霍去病19岁任骠骑将军，却不幸于元狩六年（117 BC）病逝，朝野震悼。
踏马扬首挺立，骠悍雄壮，气势轩昂，威风凛凛，腿部筋络浮现，生动而充蕴活力，象征大汉王朝扫荡大漠南北的磅礴气势；马蹄下的匈奴人首对马嘴，满脸胡须，双腿上屈，面目狰狞而惊恐，虽然手持弓箭，却被马蹄践踏在下面，垂死挣扎，似乎还在声嘶力竭地呼号，不甘心就缚。于此紧张的气氛中形成鲜明对比的，那踏马却傲然卓立，反觉恬静自若，展现出不可撼动的气势和一个强盛帝国无与伦比的豪迈与自信。据传那马蹄下挣扎的贵族打扮的匈奴人，就是被霍去病生擒的单于叔父罗古比。
The Han Chinese successfully broke the pre-Emperor Wu 汉武帝 (r. 141-87 BC) Heqin policy 和亲 for good. They were no longer being extorted into paying tribute to the Xiongnu and had gained land as well as a client state, the Southern Xiongnu. While it is true that the Chinese would end up paying much more to the Xiongnu as a vassal state, it can be seen that they had achieved a great political victory. They had engaged in a terrible war with the Xiongnu who were of more or less equal military capability, and had survived the confrontation while the Xiongnu had not.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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