Abstract: Elephants were often used for ceremonial purposes in ancient China. Yet the practice was only formally institutionalized in the Qing dynasty. The Qing court tradition bore the legacies of the Song (960-1279) and the Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, underwent continuous evolvement, and was eventually finalized during the Qianlong reign (1736-1795). The practice was carried on until late Qing dynasty. The study of how elephants were used for ceremonial purposes complements current studies of the history of the development of this tradition, while shedding lights on the Qing state ritual codex in a more comprehensive manner by looking into the source, management, and usage of the elephants. The scarcity of scholarly literature in this field renders further exploration necessary and significant.