China people obviously worship dragons. Why are there lions at the gate?

The lion in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty is also called "teacher", which was gradually added to the word "teacher" after Sui and Tang Dynasties. In addition, the lion is also called "Sister-in-law" because it looks like the eighth son of "Nine Dragons" in China mythology. According to textual research, lions were originally introduced into the Central Plains from West Asia, and were called "sisters-in-law" in ancient times. Because it was first introduced from the lion country in southern India, it is called the "lion", so there are no lions in China, and it is endowed with a certain mystery because of the introduction of foreign countries.

However, as animals living in China, why didn't the ancients put mighty tiger statues on both sides of the door and foreign lions at the door?

Tiger, for ancient China people, is no longer a simple animal, but as a totem, like a dragon, is a kind of belief. The tiger worship of Han nationality has a long history. The tiger with the word "king" on its forehead is a terrible beast and a respectable beast to the ancients. The faces of gods, people and animals in the Neolithic Liangzhu jade unearthed from archaeology are very close to those of tigers, which shows the ancient people's reverence for tigers. Tiger is one of the four Taoist gods derived from ancient myths in China: dragon in the east, Zhu bird in the south, white tiger in the west and Xuanwu in the north. Because the White Tiger is a "god of war and an axe", military commanders who killed too many enemies in ancient times are often called White Tiger Masters, such as Qin Gen Bai Qi and Tang Gen Xue Gui Ren. Therefore, in the ancient people's consciousness, the tiger means killing, and the tiger is a strong general, but the tiger is not the best choice for guarding.

Lion culture entered China with Buddhism. Manjusri Bodhisattva, a symbol of wisdom in Buddhism, has the image of holding a sword, riding a lion, cutting off troubles with the sword, and scaring demons with the roar of the lion-the lion is powerful, invincible, invincible and a symbol of nobility, majesty, wisdom and courage. According to the Buddhist scripture "Recorded under the Light", when the Buddha Sakyamuni was born, he roared like a lion: "Heaven and earth are the only ones". Therefore, Buddhism has always regarded lions as solemn and auspicious beasts and worshipped them all the more. Therefore, the ancients believed that lions had a relationship with Buddhism. In ancient times, China was a small-scale peasant economy, and it highly respected deities and buddhas. According to the image of the lion described in Buddhist scriptures, the mysterious lion is endowed with a solemn and auspicious coat. Lions look very much like ancient China's sacred animals. People in China think that lions like fireworks, and the smoke curled up on the incense burner is the fog emitted by the lion, so they stand on both sides of the incense burner, showing reverence.

In the Tang Dynasty, people could not live without Fang. The place where you live is Fang, and the places where you work, study and play are Workshop, Teaching Workshop and Fang Yue. Under the pillars of the door, there are big stones that are windproof and shockproof. Skillful craftsmen carve various images on stones, including lions and unicorns. , meaning beautiful. This is the earliest prototype of the gatekeeper stone lion.

After the Yuan Dynasty. The square market is broken, but many wealthy families still set up a pair of stone lions at their doorsteps to show their status and ward off evil spirits. 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 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. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, this custom gradually took shape, one was to ward off evil spirits, the other was to predict good or bad luck, the third was to show wealth, and the fourth was to take it with dignity. Usually, a pair of stone lions are placed in front of a temple or yamen. The lion is on the left and the lion is on the right, showing a sense of solemnity.

The totem worship of dragons in China is no less than that of tigers. "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" says: "Dragons, scale worms, can be quiet and bright, thin and huge, short and long, reaching the sky at the vernal equinox and diving deep at the autumnal equinox." "Wings of Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "The dragon is the first of the scale worms. A king has nine shapes: head like an ox, horns like a deer, eyes like a shrimp, ears like a snake, belly like a snake, scales like a fish, claws like a phoenix, palms like a tiger, yes. It has 8 1 scales on its back, and the number is nine and nine yang. It sounds like a coin. There is a beard near the mouth, pearls under the chin and scales under the throat. There is Boshan on the head, also known as ruler wood, and the dragon can't ascend to heaven without ruler wood. Breathing into the clouds can turn into fire and water. "

According to historical records, the dragon is a miraculous animal in China mythology, fickle, sexually stimulating and beneficial to all things. It is said that it can be hidden and displayed, and it can ascend to heaven in the spring breeze and dive in the autumn wind. Legend has it that dragons can disperse clouds and rain, eliminate disasters and reduce happiness, symbolizing good luck. People in China think that dragons are a blessing, so Han people all over the country pray for peace and harvest by dancing dragons.

After the Tang Dynasty, the dragon was monopolized by the royal family to show its dignity and theocracy. The dragon is a symbol of imperial power. Emperors of all dynasties called themselves dragons, and the utensils used were decorated with dragons, so most people were not allowed to use them. Therefore, even if people worship the dragon again, they will not put it at home and give it the meaning of guarding. In contrast, believing in lions, regardless of class, is the most trustworthy patron saint of China people.