Bronze Guardian Lion in Forbidden City in Beijing

by Mitchell R Grosky

Title

Bronze Guardian Lion in Forbidden City in Beijing

Artist

Mitchell R Grosky

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

Our visit to the Forbidden City, an Imperial Palace that consists of 980 buildings and is the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, was a real highlight of our time in Beijing. This World Heritage Site is over 180 acres in size. “It houses the Palace Museum, and was the former Chinese imperial palace and state residence of the Emperor of China from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty, between 1420 and 1924. The Forbidden City served as the home of Chinese emperors and their households and was the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government for almost 500 years.” Here we are at the entrance which is guarded by great bronze lions.


“Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits. Chinese or Imperial guardian lions are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stone lions or shishi. They are known in colloquial English as lion dogs or foo dogs. The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, features a pair of highly stylized lions—often one male with a ball and one female with a cub—which were thought to protect the building from harmful spiritual influences and harmful people that might be a threat.”

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May 11th, 2020

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