Stone Lions on the Lugou Bridge (photographed in the 1950's)

Juzhou City in CangZhou, Hebei Province , is 3l so known as the Iron Lion City. It preserves the largest iron lion in China, which is 6.10 meters long, 5.48 meters high and 3.15 meters wide. It was made of hundreds of 30cm to 50cm iron cubes and weighs about 40 tons. On the right side of its neck and on its teeth are the characters that indicate the time their on lion was cast. It appears strong and bold, with its head rising and facing the north, its mouth open, its eyes glaring angrily, and its four legs positioned separately, as if it had stopped suddenly On its stomach are cast the Diamond Sutra and the county chronicle of CangZhou. The lion is the largest cast animal in the early history of China, and is of great value for research into ancient Chinese metallurgy, sculpture and Buddhist history.

Stone Lion on Tian'anmen Square

Among Chinese folk, the lion has become a symbol of bravery, power and good luck. Performance art also uses the figure of the lion to convey these sentiments. Folk artists created the lion dance in which the lion appears lovely and naughty, losing its dignity as the king of animals. Figures of the lion were not used exclusively by the royal families in imperial arts as were the dragon and the phoenix. They are popular among the people and are commonly seen in front of the gates of ordinary families' homes.

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