How did stone lions come to be in ancient China?

Lions are not a species owned by China, the lion image began in the Han Dynasty, and it is said that lions came from the West. According to legend, when Emperor Han Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the country of Dayuezhi in the Western Regions paid tribute to the emperor of China as a gift of a golden-haired lion. Later, with the introduction of Buddhism, the lion became a spirit animal endowed with divine power. In Chinese culture, the lion is used more as a mythical animal than a real-life one, joining the unicorn as China's spirit animal. The Tang Dynasty monk Huilin said, "The mythical animal is also the lion, which came out of the West."

I don't know when the lion became a good-luck charm for guarding portals. And it gradually merged with Chinese culture. The shape of the lion in different dynasties have different characteristics, the Han and Tang Dynasty is usually strong and powerful, the Yuan Dynasty, long and thin body strong, Ming and Qing Dynasty, more docile. In the Qing Dynasty, the lion carving has been basically finalized, "Yangzhou Painted Boat Record" (made in 1795) stipulates that "the lion is divided into head, face, body, legs, teeth, crotch, embroidered belt, bell, spinning threads, rolling chisel embroidered beads, out of the chisel cubs."

There are rules for the placement of the stone lions watching the door. Generally speaking, there is a male and a female, in pairs, and usually the left male and right female, in line with the traditional Chinese philosophy of yin and yang of male left and female right. Placed in the doorway on the left side of the male lion is generally carved into the right front paw to play with the embroidered ball or between the two front paws square an embroidered ball; doorway on the right side of the female lion is carved into the left front paw caressing the lion cubs or between the two front paws lying down a lion cub.

Stone lions in the cultural meaning has not been a unified statement. One view is that the lion is an auspicious animal, can drive away evil. And in the "Beijing Situation Strategy" book is that: "stone is solid, the lion is also thinking, thinking of the former venture after the latter is not easy to keep the success."

Stone lions, as a kind of architectural decoration, are mostly used at the entrance of palaces, temples, government offices (ancient government offices), and the residences of high-ranking officials, aristocrats and wealthy merchants. While in modern times, general stone lions are mostly placed at the entrance of some stores.

Stone lions, which are lions carved out of stone, are a kind of decoration often used in traditional Chinese architecture. It can be seen on Chinese palaces, temples, pagodas, bridges, mansions, gardens, tombs, and seal buttons. But more often than not, the term "stone lions" refers specifically to the pair of lions placed on the left and right sides of the main door. In the long history of the era, these stone lions accompanied the vicissitudes of change, witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties, has become an indispensable decorative objects in ancient Chinese architecture. But there are no wild lions in ancient China, so these stone lion carving art originated from where and when? And how to come to China, become part of the art of China?

The home of the lion is in Africa, India, South America and other places. However, the image of the lion has long been known to our ancestors: from the Song and Qing dynasties, the collection of Zhou Dynasty bronze fine prints, there is already a three-dimensional image of the lion. It is said that the lion came from the West. It is said that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, lions were given as gifts to Chinese emperors. With the introduction of Buddhism into China, the lion was revered by Buddhism in people's minds into a noble and dignified spirit animal, China soon learned the art of stone lion carving from India and other places, and the phenomenon of displaying the tomb. For example, the stone lion in front of the tomb of Gao Yi in Ya'an County, Sichuan Province, is China's oldest surviving stone lions, is a relic of the Eastern Han Dynasty. So the lion in China is more as a mythological animal, together with the unicorn as the spirit animal of China. The Tang Dynasty monk Huilin said, "The mythical animal is also the lion, out of the Western region."

During the Tang Dynasty, the art of stone lion carving reached its peak. Due to the method of creation, the stone lions were completely Chinese. Chinese carving masters will be exceptionally magnificent stone lion carving, and realistic: head cape curly hair, open mouth and neck, four paws strong, powerful, overbearing ......

Ming Dynasty, the stone lion carving art is not only higher than in the Tang Dynasty, but also people's lives in the use of the scope of the wider. Palaces, mansions, mausoleums, and even general public housing, all with stone lions to guard the door; in the lintel cornice, stone railings and other buildings are also carved on the stone lions as decoration. Such as the famous Lugou Bridge, 140 columns on both sides, are carved with exquisite lively stone lions. Diverse postures, rich in expression, different sizes, carved vividly. Qing Dynasty, the lion carving has been basically finalized, "Yangzhou painting boat record" in the provisions of: "the lion divided into the head, face, body, legs, teeth, crotch, embroidered belt, bell, spinning threads, rolling chisel embroidered beads, out of the chisel cubs." Stone lions usually have a Sumeru base with a brocade pavement. Lions come in various shapes and have been embellished and retouched in China, with the basic form being a full head of curly hair, majestic and powerful. The shape of the lion in different dynasties have different characteristics: the Han and Tang Dynasty is usually strong and powerful; the Yuan Dynasty when the body is long, thin and powerful; the Ming and Qing Dynasty is more docile.

The placement of stone lions to watch the door is a rule. Generally speaking, are a male and a female, pairs of pairs, and generally are the left male and right female, in line with the traditional Chinese philosophy of yin and yang of the male left and female right. Placed in the doorway on the left side of the male lion is generally carved into the right front paw to play with the embroidered ball or between the two front paws square an embroidered ball; doorway on the right side of the female lion is carved into the left front paw caressing the lion cubs or between the two front paws lying down a lion cub.

The more famous lions, including the lions in front of Tiananmen Square, Zhongshan Park, the lions outside the door of the Jijitan, the lions in front of Peking University, Cangzhou Iron Lion and the Lugou Bridge lookout pillar on the more than 400 lions, as the saying goes, "Lugouqiao stone lions - countless! ". Beijing Tiananmen Jinshui Bridge before and after, each with a pair of embellished stone lions, left male and female, carved extremely fine. The right stone lion has a scar on its belly. About this scar there are two legends: one is to say, the Ming Dynasty general Li Guozhen was famous peasant insurrectionary leader Li Zicheng chased, hiding behind the stone lion, Li Zicheng found, raised his sword and stabbed, the result of the stone lion was accidentally injured; the other that the Eight-Power Allied Forces to invade Beijing, the stone lions by the invading forces destroyed.

Besides the stone lions, the lion's influence on our culture is multi-faceted, we all know the lion dance, that is, "lion dance" at the latest in the Tang Dynasty has been popular everywhere, and has not declined.

Lions in folklore have the role of warding off evil spirits, often used to guard the door. The lion is the king of beasts, there is to show the role of dignity and majesty, according to traditional customs, pairs of lions is the left male and right female, but also from the lion stepped on things to identify, hooves under the ball, symbolizing the unity of the world and supreme right, must be a male lion. Hooves under the young lion, symbolizing the progeny, is the female lion. If the lion squatting stone engraved with the phoenix and peony, the king of the birds, the king of the flowers, known as the "three kings of the lion". There is also a division of the northern lion, the northern lion is majestic and majestic, the southern lion lively and interesting.