Through prolonged human contact with tigers, people gradually came to recognize them as fierce and powerful creatures, representing a force that humans both feared and found invincible. Over time, the tiger became associated with warfare, as people fantasized about being as unbeatable in battle as the tiger itself. Consequently, the tiger permeated various aspects of warfare.
Throughout the course of human social development, warfare has been extremely frequent, and people fantasized about defeating their opponents in battle. At the same time, they discovered that the Tiger is the king of all beasts, capable of dominating all others and instilling fear in every creature. As a result, humans associated warfare with the Tiger, regarding it as the God of War. Whether it was battle flags, generals and soldiers, chariots, or military tallies and weapons, everything bore the imprint of the Tiger.
Flags bearing the image of the Tiger were used as military banners in ancient China, symbolizing valor and authority in battle.
In ancient Chinese military marching formations, the left flank would carry the Azure Dragon banner, the right flank the White Tiger banner, the vanguard the Vermilion Bird banner, and the rear guard the Black Tortoise banner. These four banners were described as being "as swift as a bird in flight, as venomous as a snake, with the dragon soaring and the tiger charging — none could withstand these four creatures." On chariots used to deliver imperial edicts to the emperor, banners embroidered with the White Tiger were inserted. The ancients regarded the White Tiger as a symbol of ferocity and might, and thus such banners were sometimes used to supervise battles. Because the Zouyu (a white tiger with black stripes) was considered a benevolent beast, the Zouhu (Zouyu tiger) banner was used when troops were disbanded or warfare ceased.
General of the Tiger
Ancient generals who fought fiercely on the battlefield, as ferocious as tigers, were often bestowed with titles and positions such as Hu Ben (Tiger Warriors), Hu Shi (Tiger Soldiers), Hu Chen (Tiger Ministers), and Hu Jiang (Tiger Generals), representing the highest praise. Cao Cao once praised Xu Chu as "Hu Hou" (Tiger Marquis), also nicknamed "Hu Chi" (Tiger Fool). Emperor Taizong of Tang once praised Xue Rengui as "Xiao Jiang" (Valiant General), likening him to a brave tiger general.
Li Bai, known as the "Immortal Poet," wrote in his poem "Song of Prince Yong's Eastern Campaign, No. 7": "Warships densely lined with tiger-like warriors, banners beckoning dragon steeds one by one." In his poem "Presented to Zhang Xianghao, No. 1," he also stated: "Tiger generals are as fierce as thunder and lightning, commanding the entire army as they march eastward." Li Shangyin's "Han Stele Inscription" further reads: "The marching military advisor is both wise and brave, leading 140,000 troops as mighty as tigers and mythical beasts." These lines are all poets' praises of valiant soldiers through the ferocity of tigers. During the War of Liberation (Chinese Civil War, 1945-1949), units skilled in both offense and defense were lauded as "attacking like fierce tigers and defending like Mount Tai," and were awarded titles such as "Fierce Tiger Regiment" and "Fierce Tiger Company." In the War of Resistance Against Japan (Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945), the "Flying Tigers" of the Chinese Air Force struck terror into the hearts of invading Japanese troops; similarly, during the War of Liberation, military units that excelled in both attack and defense were often granted the titles "Fierce Tiger Regiment" and "Fierce Tiger Company."
Tiger Vessel
In ancient China, the imperial token used by emperors to grant military authority and mobilize troops was called the tiger tally (hufu). The tiger tally was divided into two halves. When the king granted a general the power to lead troops into battle, he only gave him one half. Upon the conclusion of the campaign, when the king withdrew military authority, the general would return that half of the tally. The two halves of the tiger tally had to fit together perfectly; if the grooves did not align, it proved that the token was counterfeit.
In ancient times, there was also a type of bronze plaque known as the "Heart-Protecting Mirror," often serving as a symbol of a general's rank. At the Erlitou site in Yanshi, Henan Province, bronze plaques from the Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BCE) were discovered. These plaques were cast in bronze with a slightly convex front surface, inlaid with numerous small rectangular turquoise pieces to form animal faces, predominantly featuring tiger patterns. Such bronze plaques were typically placed on the chest or waist, serving both as a mark of status and as protection against arrows on the battlefield. Additionally, the Erlitou site yielded military equipment such as breastplates, swords, dagger-axes, spears, battle-axes, helmets, and shields, most of which were also decorated with tiger-head motifs.
The "chariot horses" excavated at Zhangjiapo in Chang'an, Shaanxi, dating from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, have endured for thousands of years. Although the wooden chariot components have decayed and the painted fierce tigers and kui dragons (mythical one-legged creatures) on the chariots have mixed into the soil, the tiger-head horse crowns on the horses' heads and the bronze tiger fittings on the chariots remain well-preserved. These chariot horses were once means of transportation for emperors, feudal lords, and nobles, and they also galloped on battlefields before finally becoming burial goods for emperors and lords.
During the Qin Dynasty, there was a "Bi'e Che" (Evil-Averting Carriage) that carried "peach bows and reed arrows" used to ward off misfortune. These "peach bows and reed arrows" were the tools with which Shenshu and Yulü captured evil spirits under the peach tree on Dushuo Mountain, and they were adorned with the image of the Divine Tiger. In the Han Dynasty, there was a "Chonggu" (Double-Hub) chariot, which featured "a green dragon painted on the left, a white tiger on the right, and the axle head bound" — also serving combat purposes.
Additionally, military tents during battle were called "Tiger Tents" or "Tiger Canopies," while weapons were classified as Tiger-Head Blades, Tiger-Head Battle-Axes, Tiger-Crouching Crossbows, Tiger-Crouching Cannons, and Tiger-Pouch Ammunition. Even many important strategic passes were named after the tiger, such as the Sishui Town in Xingyang, Henan, which was named "Tiger Trap Pass," the northern entrance of the Great Wall in Jidong, Hebei, called "Tiger North Pass," and the northeast of Macheng, Hubei, known as "Tiger Head Pass."
One can imagine that on the battlefields of those fierce wars, tiger banners fluttered in the wind and tiger chariots rolled forward, while soldiers wore tiger-head helmets and wielded tiger-head shields, with the gleam of swords and the clash of arms amid earth-shaking war cries — what a magnificent and spectacular scene it must have been.
Further Reading
“Tiger People” in Battle and “Tiger Horse” Tactics
In the 10th year of Duke Zhuang of Lu's reign (687 BCE), the Qi army suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Changshao against Lu. Subsequently, the Qi army allied with the Song state and launched a pincer attack from both the north and south to invade Lu again. Duke Zhuang of Lu secretly dispatched a small unit from the southern gate of Lu, which advanced into the Song camp first while draped in tiger skins. The Song soldiers, believing that Lu had deployed ferocious tigers in battle, were terrified and lost all will to fight. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Duke Zhuang led the main Lu army to decisively defeat the Song forces, forcing the Qi army to withdraw and return to their own state.
In the 28th year of Duke Xi’s reign (632 BCE), the Marquis of Jin fought a battle against the state of Chu at Chengpu. Chu had allied with the armies of Chen and Cai, presenting a formidable force. The Jin commander Xu Chen used tiger skins to cover his horses and launched an attack on the allied forces of Chen and Cai. When the horses draped in tiger skins suddenly charged, the Chen and Cai troops were terrified and fled in panic toward the Chu camp, causing the right wing of the Chu army to collapse and resulting in a decisive victory for Jin. This demonstrates the highly significant role that tigers played in ancient military warfare.