Why were lions so popular in ancient times?

The lion was a symbol of the mythical beast in ancient times, and it represented a kind of mascot. Folks even use the lion dance as a form of entertainment to ward off evil spirits, and people will also use the lion to express their yearning for a harmonious life.

Lions, especially male lions, are majestic and majestic, especially imposing, and ancient kings and generals all hope to have the temperament and force of a lion, so lions are very popular in ancient times.

Because the lion represents strength and strength, and it means very good and powerful.

Because it is auspicious, it can protect peace and bring wealth. The lion is fierce and can dominate all beasts, it is also an ancient divine beast, an auspicious existence in the eyes of people, and an important existence that can protect the safety of the house.

This is because the lion gives people a very majestic feeling, and it is also more powerful, and at the same time it is relatively strong in combat, and its status in the forest is relatively high.

Because the ancient lion symbolizes an auspicious meaning and can play a role in settling down in the town, it is very popular.

In ancient China, there were no lions at the earlion.

The homeland of lions is in Africa, India, South America, etc. However, the image of the lion has long been familiar to our ancestors: from the fine painting prints of the Zhou Dynasty bronzes collected by the Song and Qing dynasties, there are already three-dimensional images of the lion.

It is said that the lion came from the Western Regions. Legend has it that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, lions were given as gifts to Chinese emperors. With the introduction of Buddhism into China, the lion revered by Buddhism became a noble and dignified spirit animal in people's minds, and China soon learned the carving art of stone lions from India and other places, and there was a phenomenon of displaying the tomb in front of the tomb.

In fact, the prototype of the ancient Chinese stone lion was not the lion we see now, but a mythical beast called "Fox". 狻猊 (suān ní) is one of the nine sons of the dragon in ancient Chinese mythology and legend. It is shaped like a lion, and it likes smoke and sits, so the image generally appears on the incense burner, and then swallows smoke and spits smoke.

Ancient books record that it is a fierce beast that looks similar to a lion and can eat tigers and leopards, and it is also the meaning of the mighty beasts.

As the name suggests, the mythical beast is a monster with aura and special functions in myths and legends, such as the green dragon and white tiger Vermilion Bird Xuanwu, and then such as the phoenix, the unicorn, etc., and the fox and these mythical beasts, are not creatures that exist in the real world, but because of this seemingly fierce and thick appearance, together with the unicorn, it is called China's two major gatekeeper beasts, so we often see the stone unicorn and the stone lion in front of the ancient mansion.

And the shape of the fox changes in each dynasty, that is to say, the style of the stone lions in each dynasty is different, and it is usually strong and powerful in the Han and Tang dynasties. By the time of the Yuan Dynasty, the body was slender and powerful, and in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was relatively docile. In the Qing Dynasty, the carving of the lion has been basically finalized, and it is stipulated in the "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record".

The lion has a head, a face, a crotch, an embroidered belt, a bell, a thread, a rolling chisel and a bead, and a chisel cub. ”

China has always been a relatively powerful country until modern times, and the Silk Road has always been very smooth, and it is at this time that the lion has been paying tribute from the Western Regions and the southern seas, as a rare and exotic beast for the royal family to watch and play.

The ancients painted such a ferocious animal through imagination, and depicted this animal vividly, just like the real thing.

Yakini (sound sour mud).

Fox: also known as Jinyi, Lingyi. It is another name for a lion, so it is shaped like a lion, good for fireworks, and easy to sit.

Its demeanor can be seen on the Buddha seat and incense burner in the temple. The lion, an animal that even tigers and leopards dare to eat, and has a very lofty appearance, was introduced to China with Buddhism. Since the Buddha Shakyamuni has"Fearless lion"As a metaphor, people naturally arranged it as a seat for the Buddha, or carved it on the incense burner for him to enjoy the incense.

The Bodhisattva in Chinese Journey to the West rides a lion.

The lion must have it, it lives in the forest, it is the king of the forest.

Yes. The survival of lions is determined by environment, not by life.

foreign tribute, in the royal gardens.

Yes, or there would be a stone lion at the door of the yamen.