Why are the two big lions in front of the government, one with its mouth open and the other with its mouth closed?

Generally speaking, the lions who guard the door are both male and female, 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 shape of the right front paw playing with hydrangea or the opening of 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. Lions belong to feline mammals in zoology. Its male figure is vigorous, his head is big and his face is wide, he is bold in playing with fur and his posture is very fierce. Its origin is not in China, but in Africa, India, South America and other places. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian sent a mission to the Western Regions, which opened up the connection between China and other countries in the Western Regions and enabled the lion to enter China. "The history of the later han dynasty. Biography of the Western Regions: "In the first year of Zhang (AD 87), (an interest country) sent an envoy to offer a teacher (lion) and." It means that an interest country far away in West Asia (equivalent to today's Iran) sent an envoy to Liu Huan, the then Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and sent rare gifts: the lion and Fu Ba (a rare hornless animal). This caused quite a stir in Luoyang, the then capital. From then on, the lion, a guest from afar, began to enter the folk life of the people in China. He was not only treated with courtesy, but also loved by the people in China. He was honored as a "Rui beast" and was promoted to the status of the king of beasts comparable to a tiger. In Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica, it is said that "the lion is the first of all animals when he leaves the western countries." Lions have such good luck in China, and they also benefited from the introduction of Buddhism into China in the Han Dynasty. "Recorded under the Light" said: When Buddha Sakyamuni was born, he made a lion roar: "Heaven and earth are the only ones". Therefore, Buddhist stalks worship lions as solemn and auspicious beasts of God. In the future, Buddhists said that the sound shook the heavens and the earth, and all animals were frightened, so it was called "lion roar". Many temples in Mount Tai, a Buddhist holy place in China, are dedicated to Manjusri Bodhisattva riding a lion. It is said that Manjusri Bodhisattva, who specializes in the wisdom of human alliance, first rode a lion to Wutai Mountain, and Wutai Mountain became the Dojo of Manjusri Bodhisattva's statement. With such majesty, lions began to appear in front of imperial tombs and noble tombs in the Han and Tang Dynasties. But it was just placed in front of the tomb house. As a god beast in Shinto, it is often put together with stone horses. The stone sheep and other stone statues are put together, which plays a deterrent role and makes people feel awe. At this time, the stone lion has not yet entered the folk, and its shape is obviously different from that of the stone lion who later guarded the city gate, that is, there is no tall stone pedestal under the stone lion statue, which can be clearly seen in the remains of ancient stone lions in Han and Tang Dynasties. Shishi went to the folk and became a gatekeeper beast. This custom was formed after the Tang and Song Dynasties. According to Mr. Cheng's "Interesting Talk about Shishi in Yuan Dynasty" (see Literature and History Knowledge 1998 No.9), most residents in the capital of Tang Dynasty lived in Fangfang, which was a residential area with walls and square doors designated by the government for fire prevention and theft prevention. Most square doors are made into arched doors with Fang's name written on them. Put a pair of big stones at the foot of each square column to prevent wind and earthquake. Craftsmen carve lions, unicorns, sea animals and other animals on big stones, which is both beautiful and auspicious. This is the prototype of guarding the gate with auspicious animals such as stone lions. Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Fang withdrew from the historical stage. In order to show off their momentum, some wealthy families simplified the original style of the square door and transformed it into a gatehouse. Like the stone pillars used in the original square gate, the stone pillars are carved with lions and other auspicious animals, and this style has been preserved. This custom is clearly recorded in the article "Analysis of Local Customs in Yuan Dynasty": "In the capital, show officials and taxpayers, and solve the problem. Most lions are cast from pig iron, and the left and right doors are connected, or Bai Shimin is used as mentioned above. " This is the earliest, most detailed and conclusive record of the appearance time of the gatekeeper stone lion in China. It can be concluded that the Yuan Dynasty was the beginning of China's gatekeeper stone lions from the palace to the folk. Most of the stone lions we saw squatted on a pedestal carved by a big stone, which is obviously a relic evolved from the original beryl. What's the use of putting a stone lion in front of the gate? There are four popular sayings: First, avoid evil spirits and avoid Naji. The ancients thought that stone lions could ward off evil spirits, so they were first used to guard tombs. This kind of spirit beast in people's minds is also called "avoiding evil spirits". In people's folk life, stone lions are not only used to guard the gate, but also set up stone lions at rural intersections, which have the same function as "Shi Gandang", and are used to guard houses, ward off evil spirits, and keep villages safe. Therefore, using stone lions to close the gate can ward off evil spirits and resist the harm caused by monsters, which shows people's psychological requirements for praying for peace. Second, forecast the flood. In folklore, it is said that lions have the function of predicting disasters. It is said that in the event of natural disasters such as floods or land subsidence, the eyes of stone lions will turn red or bleed, which is a sign of impending disaster and people can take refuge in an emergency. Here, the stone lion became a prophet of disaster. Third, highlight the dignitaries. In ancient times, stone lions were often used as gatekeepers of palaces, palaces, offices and luxury houses, which showed the power and dignity of their owners. For example, two pairs of majestic stone lions on the Jinshui River in front of Tiananmen Square in Beijing guard the gate of the imperial city, which embodies the supreme imperial power and inviolability in all directions. Fourth, art decoration. Stone lions are also indispensable decorations in ancient buildings. For example, at the eastern end of Lugou Bridge in Beijing, two large stone lions are used to guard the railings. Not only are stone lions engraved on the China table stigma at both ends of the bridge, but some stone lions also hide a few little lions. These lions are men and women, big and small, with vivid expressions and wonderful workmanship. The smallest lion is only a few centimeters, which is not only numerous, but also unpredictable. Therefore, there is a saying that there are countless lions in Lugouqiao. 1962, Beijing cultural relics workers numbered the stone lions of Lugou Bridge, and finally counted 485 stone lions. Lugou Bridge is famous all over the world for its stone lions, and it has become a masterpiece of architectural art. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the stone lions often stepped on a "hydrangea" under their paws, and the lioness often stepped on a young lion. There are also paintings and patterns of rolling hydrangeas by lions among the people, which only represent the symbolic significance of entertainment and human love and reflect people's good wishes for peace and harmony. Folk lion is a town house animal. It also has the function of ward off evil spirits. The lion's mouth is open and closed, which means vomiting. Some people put Kirin, which is also a god beast, and it is helpful for Feng Shui, especially for lions whose doors are facing the water (rivers) and have the function of carrying water. The lions' mouths in front of the bank are closed one by one, indicating good luck. When they are closed, they only eat money but don't spit it out. There are stone lions on both sides of the front entrance of the ancient temple, and the lion opens his mouth and looks at the believers coming and going; The lioness keeps her mouth shut to protect her children, which shows the characteristics of traditional society that men are superior to women and perform their duties. I also heard a saying that they were chanting the Buddha's number, an "A" and an "Mi".