Therefore, they traditionally stood in front of Chinese
Imperial palaces, temples, emperors' tombs, government offices, and the
homes of government officials and the wealthy from the
Han
Dynasty (206 BD -220 AD), until the end of the empire in 1911.
Nowadays, pairs of Chinese guardian lions are still
common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants,
hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of
the entrance.
Stone lions are not only common in China but also in other
places around the world where the Chinese people have immigrated and
settled, especially in local Chinatowns.
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Male Lion in the forbidden City in Beijing, China |
Lions of Fo are always created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball or globe and the female with a cub. The male sits on the left and the female on the right.
The male lion has his right paw on a ball or globe, which represents the "Flower of life" The female is essentially identical, but has a single cub under her left paw, representing the cycle of life. Symbolically, the female fu lion protects those dwelling inside, while the male guards the structure. Sometimes the female has her mouth closed, and the male open. This symbolizes the enunciation of the sacred word "om".
However, Japanese adaptations state that the male is inhaling, representing life, while the female exhales, representing death. Other styles have both lions with a single large pearl in each of their partially opened mouths. The pearl is carved so that it can roll about in the lion's mouth but sized just large enough so that it can never be removed.
There are various styles of imperial guardian lions reflecting influences from different time periods, imperial dynasties, and regions of China. These styles vary in their artistic detail and adornment as well as in the depiction of the lions from fierce to serene.
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