The specific meaning of stone lions in front of ancient mansions

Warding off evil spirits.

Stone lions, a common item to ward off evil in traditional Chinese culture, are sculptures with artistic and ornamental value, using stone as raw material to sculpt into the image of a lion. The earliest stone lions are those in front of the tomb of Gao Yi in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is a decorative object often used in traditional Chinese architecture and can be found on Chinese palaces, temples, pagodas, bridges, mansions, gardens, tombs and seal buttons.

But more often than not, stone lions specifically refer to the pair of lions placed on the left and right sides of the main door. Their shape is not the lions we see nowadays, probably because most people in the Middle Kingdom have never seen real lions in the African savannah, but it is also said that it is because the Western lions have a different body shape from the African lions.

Expanded Information:

Stone lions not only have different characteristics of different eras, but also have obvious regional features . In general, the northern stone lion appearance of the atmosphere, carving rustic; southern stone lion more spiritual, lively shape, carving a lot of decoration, the lion cub is not only in the palm of the lioness, some climbed on the back of the lion, lively and lovely.

After placing the stone lions, stores or administrative organs and community entrance, taboo offerings gossip mirror, dragon turtle, eagle, Wenchang Tower, Tarzan stone.

The Chinese people have traditionally regarded stone lions as auspicious objects, in China's many gardens and attractions, a variety of shapes of stone lions can be seen everywhere. Ancient government offices, temples, mansions in front of the gate, are placed in a pair of stone lions to guard the house. Until modern times, many buildings in front of the gate, there is this kind of stone lions placed in front of the house to protect the legacy of the wind does not die.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Stone Lions