In folk custom, the lion is the sacred animal that controls the house. It also has the function of warding off evil spirits. The lion is the king of beasts and is often used to symbolize sacred dignity and majesty. Folks regard the lion as an auspicious animal and believe that it can drive away evil.
The lion is the most common auspicious animal in Chinese folk culture. It is the embodiment of wisdom and strength, has the meaning of auspiciousness, prosperity and endless life, and symbolizes status, dignity and peace.
Although lions are not a native product of China, China has a unique lion culture. During festive seasons, lion dances are held across the country. People put on colorful lion coats and imitate lions walking, sitting, lying, pitching and jumping.
The dance of "Double Lions Playing with Hydrangea" symbolizes endless life, family reproduction and social prosperity. The auspicious pattern of lions rolling hydrangea also has the same meaning.
The image of the lion often appears in Buddhist classics and Buddhist statues. The Wisdom Buddha Manjushri rides on a lion, which adds auspicious meaning to the lion.
In ancient times, officials and wealthy families were the ruling class and aristocratic class of society. Lions occupied the supreme position among beasts, and lion statues also became a symbol of authority.
The lion's front foot is stepping on an hydrangea, which symbolizes both power and unification of the world. The stone lion is regarded as the "patron saint of the Chinese people". Stone is originally cold and emotionless, but lions carved from stone have always conveyed the meaning of good luck, peace and tranquility.
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History
The earliest stone lion is the stone lion in front of Gao Yi's tomb in the Eastern Han Dynasty, in Ya'an, Sichuan. The stone lion in front of the Liang Dynasty tomb in Jurong County, Jiangsu Province has a history of 1,400 years. The stone lions in the Tang Shun Mausoleum in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province were built by Wu Zetian for his mother Yang's mausoleum and are representative works of existing stone lions.
After the Ming Dynasty, many palaces, mansions, temples, and even the residences of wealthy families were equipped with stone lions to guard the gates for a grand and majestic appearance. Later, stone lions with different postures were also carved on door pillows, stone door lintels, eaves corners, railings and other building parts, becoming an indispensable decoration of ancient buildings.
There are many stone lions from the Ming and Qing dynasties existing in Beijing. The shapes of these stone lions are no longer majestic, but tend to be loving and joyful, which you will never tire of looking at for a long time. Both sides of the Marco Polo Bridge, which is famous both at home and abroad, were built during the Jin Dynasty.
***There are 140 carved pillars, each pillar is engraved with exquisite and lively stone lions, and each stone lion hides nine little lions. The smallest one is only a few centimeters, which is extremely unusual. It is easy to count, so there is a saying that "there are countless lions in Lugou Bridge".
In 1961, archaeologists specially numbered and counted the stone lions of Lugou Bridge, and finally the number was clear: there were 485 of them.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Shishi (the name of traditional architectural decoration)