There is a fortune teller at the entrance of Cangzhou Iron Lion _ What is the name of a fortune teller at the entrance of Cangzhou Iron Lion?

Why are a pair of bronze statues (stone statues) of "lions" at the entrance of public institutions with one mouth and one mouth?

Stone lions are a pair, a male and a female. A lion with an open mouth and a lioness with a closed mouth.

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. Its shape is not the lion we see now, probably because most middle-earth people have never seen a real lion on the African grassland. However, some people say that lions in the western regions are different from those in Africa.

history

Lions are not all species in China. The image of the lion began in the Han Dynasty. It is said that lions come from the western regions. According to legend, during the Zhang period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yue State in the Western Regions presented a golden lion to Emperor China. Later, with the introduction of Buddhism, the lion became a spirit beast endowed with divine power. In the culture of China, the lion is more of a mythical animal than a real animal. Together with Kirin, it becomes the spirit beast of China. Hui Lin, a monk in the Tang Dynasty, said: "Sister-in-law is also a lion, leaving the Western Regions."

I don't know when the lion became the mascot guarding the portal. And gradually merged with China culture. The shape of the lion has different characteristics in different dynasties. Usually the Han and Tang dynasties were strong and powerful, the Yuan dynasty was slender and powerful, and the Ming and Qing dynasties were docile. By the Qing Dynasty, the sculpture of lions was basically shaped. "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record" (1795) stipulates: "The lion divides its head, face, body, legs, teeth, buttocks, embroidered ribbons, bells, twisted threads, rolled embroidered beads and chiseled young."

Shishi not only has different characteristics of the times, but also has obvious regional characteristics. Generally speaking, the stone lions in the north are atmospheric in appearance and simple in carving; The stone lions in the south are more aura, lively in shape and diverse in carving. The cubs are lively and lovely, not only under the lioness's palm, but also on the lion's back.

usage mode

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.

The stone lions on both sides of the gate are placed according to the direction in which people come out of the gate. When people come out of the gate, the lion should be on the left and the lioness on the right. When entering from the outside, it's just the opposite. For example, there are a pair of stone lions outside the door of some buildings. Outside the door (that is, the direction of entering the door), the male lion is on the right and the female lion is on the left; Inside the door (that is, the direction of going out) is the lion on the left and the lioness on the right. In other words, when you leave the gate, there must be a lion on the left and a lioness on the right.

The above situation is universal, but there are some exceptions. For example, the stone lions in front of Guandi Temple in Jiayuguan, the stone lions in front of Confucius House in Qufu, and the stone lions on the north and south sides of Donghuamen Street in Gulou. These lions are very special in shape. There are no hydrangeas and cubs under the claws, so it is difficult to distinguish between males and females. In addition, the two pairs of stone lions on the front and back sides of Sanmen Square, the four pillars of Mount Tai where Confucius ascended the throne, are left females and right males, which is just the opposite of the usual situation and its meaning is unknown.

Stone lions generally take Mount Sumi as the base, and there are brocade shops on the base (spread on Mount Sumi, with four corners hanging around Mount Sumi). Lions have different shapes. They are beautified in China. Their basic form is full of curly hair, magnificent.

Cultural significance

The cultural meaning of stone lions has never been unified. One view is that lions are auspicious animals and can drive away evil spirits. The book "A Brief Introduction to the Situation in Beijing" says: "The stone is also real, and the lion thinks it is. It is hard to say that it is not easy for seniors to start a business. "

As a kind of architectural decoration, stone lions are often used in palaces, temples, yamen (ancient government agencies) and at the gates of senior officials, nobles and wealthy businessmen. In modern times, stone lions are usually placed in front of some shops.

The famous stone lion

Famous lions include two pairs of lions in front of Tiananmen Square, lions outside the Shejitan Gate of Beijing Zhongshan Park, lions in front of Peking University, iron lions in Cangzhou and more than 400 lions on Lugou Bridge. As the saying goes, "there are countless stone lions in Lugou Bridge".