The lion guards the gate and the tiger sits in the middle hall. Why is the treatment of lions and tigers so different?

"The lion watches the door and the tiger sits in nave" is our ancient architectural wisdom and a custom formed in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Lions entered China with Buddhism in the Han Dynasty and were regarded as Swiss gatekeepers. The tiger is a symbol of courage and majesty. When the nave is used to guard the house, it can also show the identity of the owner.

In nature, the lion is the king of the grassland, the tiger is the king of the forest, and the king of all animals, and naturally there is a pattern of "king" on his forehead. Tigers have always been respected by the ancients in our country. Up the mountain, the tiger represents the owner's promotion step by step, while down the mountain, it represents the rolling financial resources. Four Holy Beasts has a land of "white tigers". Tigers can often compete with dragons and have a high status.

Let's look at the lion again. It is not a product of our country. It was in the Han Dynasty that Buddhist messengers brought lions to Luoyang, causing a sensation and onlookers. Besides, lions have a high status in Buddhism. When Sakyamuni was born, the lion roared, "Heaven and earth are the only ones", and the lion was also the mount of Manjusri Bodhisattva. With the development of Buddhism, the status of the lion has also risen and become the same as that of the tiger.

Moreover, the architectural decoration such as "the lion watches the door and the tiger sits in nave" is not something that ordinary people can have. People who can use this specification are either rich or expensive, and there must be something extraordinary, which is a symbol of the identity and status of the owner of the house. Large stone lions can't be bought and used by ordinary people, which is equivalent to today's luxury cars and high-end watches. If ordinary people hang a "tiger portrait" in the main hall, they have no power to suppress the tiger's Sha Qi, which may lead to disaster. Because the white tiger is fighting, the tiger sounds like a disaster, so these two things are regarded as "standard" for large families.

In short, the treatment of lions and tigers is actually quite high, but the division of labor is different. The image of a lion is suitable for welcoming guests, while the majestic image of a tiger is used to show its strength, which is also in line with the concept of "courtesy before soldiers" in China.