In ancient China, horses were a great economic and military asset. The "heavenly horses, a breed native to the then kingdom of Da Yuan what is today a Central Asian country in the Fergana Valley, embody raw speed and stamina. Around 139 BC, the Han Dynasty emperor sent out an imperial convoy led by Zhang Qian on a journey to the west. His task was to form a military alliance with other Central Asian countries to look for these reputed warhorses.