The theme of transportation is to "Travel Safe." Art works for decoration on vehicles and horses are mostly symbols of "good luck" or an "eight diagram."
At Maojin ferry, Henan on the Yellow River Mid-stream, an area where monkey totem is idolized, a decorative monkey totem is placed on the mast tip of all boats that sail in the Yellow River. A line underneath reads: "The general is a trailblazer; and the lieutenant general is strong and invincible." The monkey totem is there to protect everyone on board when sailing amidst high winds and waves in the Yellow River.
Source:
http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/17Traditions9329.html
