I don't know if you have ever thought about why the "town house beast" lion, which usually appears on both sides of the gate, "burns" a fashionable curly hair?
In reality, the lions are obviously long-haired and flowing, but like the stone lions in front of the Forbidden City, there are dozens of curly hairs on the top of their heads.
This also begins with China's first contact with lions, the Han Dynasty.
Stone Lion
In 138 BC, Zhang Qian of the Han Dynasty sent an envoy to the Western Regions on the orders of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to cut through the Silk Road, allowing the Han Dynasty to communicate with the countries of the Western Regions.
It is recorded in the Book of Han, The Tale of the Western Regions, and the Departure of Wuyi Mountain: "The summer of Wuyi Land is flat... And there are peach plucks, lions, rhinos. ”
This was Chinese first encounter with lions.
Later, Buddhism spread in China, and lions are "spirit beasts" in Buddhist teachings, and you can also see bodhisattvas riding lion-like divine beasts in "Journey to the West".
Therefore, the lion has become the "town house beast" in the eyes of the Chinese.
In the royal palace, the image of the lion as tall and mighty is very much in line with the solemnity of the royal family, so it is deeply loved by the kings of all generations.
In ancient times, China's national strength was strong, and it often regarded itself as a kingdom of heaven and heaven.
In order to communicate with the Heavenly Dynasty, the countries of the Western Regions often offered lions to the Central Plains Dynasty in the hope of gaining the favor of the emperor and protecting other countries.
Especially in the Tang Dynasty, when all the countries came to the dynasty, more and more beasts paid tribute, and people expected good wishes to give "auspicious clouds" to lions, so the head of the stone lion was "hot" with curly hair.
From ancient times to the present, in our country, in order to show its status, stone lions will be placed in front of the doors of the powerful people to show their majesty.
However, the imperial court stipulated strict hierarchical regulations, and stone lions could not be placed casually.
The level of this rank is reflected in the "curly hair" of the lion, that is to say, the higher the status of the person, the more the number of "curly hair" of the stone lion placed at the door.
According to historical records, in front of the ancient Yipin Commander's Mansion, there were thirteen curly hair heads on the head of the stone lion.
From the first pin officer down, every time a pin is lowered, there is one less curly hair head, that is, two pins and twelve, three pins and eleven, and so on.
And the stone lion guarding the door of the official mansion below the seven pins is not allowed to be placed in front of the door.
So where are the stone lion curls the most haircuts? As you must have guessed, that is the Forbidden City. The stone lion placed at the entrance of the Forbidden City generally has forty-five curly hair heads, and guess why?
Lions in front of the Forbidden City
It has been explained that this is because the emperor is called the "Supreme Nine-Five", and nine times five gives forty-five.