Chinese ancestors commanded superb charioteer's art and horsemanship during the Shang and Zhou dynasties over 3,000 years ago. With the development of science and technology, great changes have taken place in the forms of chariot racing and horse racing. But people are still eager to outdo themselves and dash forward at the maximum speed.

Chariots and horses played a very important role in social life in ancient times. From the number of chariots and horses one could estimate the military strength of a state. In those days, a chariot with four horses was known as a "shèng". One "shèng" consisted of one chariot, four horses, three armored soldiers and 72 foot soldiers. "A state of a thousand chariots" or "a state of 10,000 chariots" was a term used to indicate the armed forces of a state in those days.

Since chariots and horses were so important, sons of aristocrats learned to drive chariots as an important part of their learning.

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