Unbridled Passions: The Eight Horses of King Mu, Son of Heaven (ca. 1300)
In the Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven (Mutianzi zhuan, ca. 475–221 BCE), considered the oldest extant travelogue in Chinese literature, the titular ruler journeys to the mythical Kunlun mountains, his chariot drawn by eight faithful horses toward the Queen Mother of the West. Upon arriving, he releases the steeds into a paradisiac meadow, recompense for ferrying him to the land of eternal life.

