Fierce Shang-dynasty warriors rode elephants into battle in their attacks on eastern barbarians. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, generals in the army of the king of Yunnan, Meng Huo, rode elephants at the head of the vanguard while attacking. Elephants were trained to pull chariots across the battlefield. In China, such chariots became known as "elephant chariots."
果然，驍勇的殷商戰士直上象背進軍東夷；《三國演義》裡，雲南王孟獲的先鋒元帥騎著大象衝鋒陷陣；以馴象駕車縱橫戰場，在中國就稱「象車」。