Shishi is a lion carved from stone, which is often used as an ornament in traditional buildings in China. It can be seen in palaces, temples, pagodas, bridges, mansions, gardens, tombs and buttons in China. But more often, "Shishi" refers to a pair of lions placed on the left and right sides of the gate. In the long historical years, these stone lions accompanied by vicissitudes witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and became an indispensable ornament in the ancient buildings of China. But there were no wild lions in ancient China, so when and where did these stone lion carving arts originate? How did you come to China and become a part of China art?

The hometown of lions is in Africa, India, South America and other places. However, the image of the lion has long been known to our ancestors: there is a three-dimensional image of the lion in the exquisite painted prints of Zhou bronzes collected in the Song and Qing Dynasties. It is said that lions come from the western regions. According to legend, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, lions were given as gifts to the emperor of China. With the introduction of Buddhism into China, the lion revered by Buddhism has become a noble and majestic spirit beast in people's minds. China soon learned the carving art of stone lions from India, and the phenomenon of displaying tombs appeared. For example, the stone lion in front of Gaoyi Tomb in Ya 'an County, Sichuan Province is the oldest stone lion in China and a relic of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Therefore, lions appear more as mythical animals in China, and together with Kirin, they become the spirit beasts of China. Hui Lin, a monk in the Tang Dynasty, said, "Sister-in-law is a lion, and she went out of the Western Regions."

In the Tang Dynasty, the stone lion carving art reached its peak. Because of the vivid creative method, the stone lion is exactly like China. The master sculptor in China carved the stone lion magnificently and vividly: his head was curled, his mouth was open, his neck was upturned, his claws were powerful and his expression was domineering. ...

After the Ming Dynasty, the stone lion carving art was not only higher than that of the Tang Dynasty, but also more widely used in people's lives. Palaces, mansions, mausoleums and even ordinary citizens' houses are guarded by stone lions; Stone lions are carved on the lintel eaves and stone railings as decoration. For example, the world-famous Lugou Bridge, with 140 stigma on both sides, is carved with exquisite and lively stone lions. Various postures, rich expressions, different sizes and vivid sculptures. By the Qing Dynasty, the sculpture of lions was basically shaped. "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record" stipulates: "The lion is divided into parts, face, body, legs, teeth, crotch, embroidered belt, bell, thread, rolling embroidered beads and chisel young." Stone lions generally take Mount Sumi as the base, and there is a brocade shop on the base. Lions have different shapes. They are beautified in China. Their basic form is full of curly hair, magnificent. The shape of the lion has different characteristics in different dynasties: in the Han and Tang dynasties, it was usually magnificent and powerful; In the Yuan Dynasty, the body was slender and powerful; Ming and Qing dynasties were relatively docile.

There are rules for the placement of the stone lions. Generally speaking, they are male and female in pairs, and they are generally left male and right female, which conforms to China's traditional philosophy of Yin and Yang. The lion placed on the left side of the door is generally carved into the right front paw to play with hydrangea or there is a hydrangea between the two front paws; The lioness on the right side of the door is carved into the left front paw to touch the cub or the cub is located between the two front paws.

Famous lions include the lion in front of Tiananmen Square, the lion outside the village altar in Zhongshan Park, the lion in front of Peking University, the iron lion in Cangzhou and more than 400 lions on Lugouqiao Ganglou. As the saying goes, "There are countless stone lions in Lugou Bridge". Before and after Jinshui Bridge in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, there are a pair of big stone lions, left male and right female, beautifully carved. The stone lion on the right has a scar on his abdomen. There are two legends about this scar: First, Li Guozhen, the general of the Ming Dynasty, was chased by Li Zicheng, the leader of the famous peasant rebel army, and hid behind the stone lion. Li Zicheng found that he stabbed it with a sword and accidentally injured the stone lion; On the other hand, when Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, Shishi was destroyed by the invading army.

Besides stone lions, lions have influenced our culture in many ways. The well-known lion dance, that is, "lion dance", was popular all over the country at the latest in the Tang Dynasty and is still popular today.

Lions can ward off evil spirits among the people and are often used as gatekeepers. The lion is also the king of beasts, which shows dignity and majesty. According to the traditional custom, this pair of lions is the left male and the right female, which can also be distinguished from what the lion stepped on. The ball under the hoof symbolizes the unity and supreme power of the whole world, and must be a lion. The little lion stands under his hoof, symbolizing the continuation of his children and grandchildren. This is a lioness. If the stone carving on which the lion crouches is engraved with the phoenix peony, the king of birds and the king of flowers, it is called "the lion of three kings". There are also differences between the southern lion and the northern lion. The northern lion is majestic, while the southern lion is lively and interesting.