Why are stone lions placed at the entrance of ancient mansions? What is the root cause?
Lions only live in Africa. China recorded the lion for the first time in the Han Dynasty. Lions and rhinos were sent to the Central Plains as a tribute to the Western Regions. At that time, lions had no status. Since the Tang Dynasty, especially after Wu Zetian came to power, Buddhism has been promoted and the status of lions in people's minds has changed. People who believe in Buddhism began to put stone lions at the door of the town house, and people who don't believe in Buddhism began to follow suit, so they would see stone lions at the door of people with some status.
The stone lions in the Tang Dynasty are dignified when they walk or stand at ordinary times, indicating that all filth and evil can't be approached. After the Song Dynasty, stone lions were usually sitting, and people would combine stone lions with hydrangea bells, plus the images of lioness and cubs playing around, all of which had different auspicious meanings. Hydrangea bells represent auspiciousness, and lioness and cubs represent * * * to enjoy family happiness. The image of a stone lion in the Song Dynasty was later used as the image of a beast in front of people's homes.
Moreover, people all think that compared with tigers and lions, lions can be tamed, while tigers, as the king of beasts, are not easily tamed. Therefore, if you want to be a town house animal, you must choose a more obedient lion. Moreover, from the perspective of geomantic omen, the lion belongs to yin, so it is not suitable for being placed indoors, but suitable for being placed outdoors. Tiger whip is more suitable to be placed in your own home, which has the function of exorcising ghosts and evil spirits. Therefore, the lion has always been regarded as a beast guarding thousands of towns.