Are there lions in China's history? If not, why is there a tradition of lion dancing? If so, why was it never recorded?

In fact, lions were originally introduced from the western regions. The lion is the mount of Manjushri. As Buddhism was introduced into China, lion dance was also introduced into China. The lion is a tribute brought back with the peacock after Emperor Wu of Han sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions.

However, the skill of lion dance originated from Xiliang's "masked play". Some people think that lion dance originated from the army in the fifth century and was later introduced to the people. Both statements have their own basis, and it is difficult to judge whether they are right or wrong today. However, in the Tang Dynasty, lion dancing became a popular activity in the court, the army and the people.

According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Gaozu Zhang, the state of Yue in the western regions presented a golden lion to the Han Dynasty, and the envoys threatened to continue to pay tribute to the Han Dynasty if anyone could tame the lion, or break off diplomatic relations. After the messenger of the moon left, Emperor Zhang Han chose three people to train the lion, but none of them succeeded. Later, the golden lion violently attacked and was killed by the imperial secretary. In order to avoid the punishment of Emperor Zhang, the imperial secretary tore off the lion's skin. The imperial secretary's two brothers dressed up as golden lions, and one teased him to start a dance. This not only fooled Ambassador Yue, but also believed Zhang Di. After this incident, it spread to the Han Palace, and the people thought that lion dancing was a symbol of national glory and good luck. So he imitated the lion and performed a lion dance. Since then, lion dancing has been very popular.