How did the lion in China culture come from?

The introduction of lion culture into China has a direct and close relationship with the spread of lion species itself. The earliest record of lions being introduced into China as a species comes from the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, which mentions that in the first year of Emperor Gaozu Zhang, that is, in 85 AD, the King of Rest sent envoys to offer lions and other rare birds and animals. With the increasingly frequent exchanges between China and foreign countries, more lions were brought to China by envoys. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were several examples of offering sacrifices to lions in western countries, but they were still few.

It was not until the Tang Dynasty, the most developed foreign exchange in China's ancient history, that lions were frequently introduced to China. According to general statistics, in the short period of more than 20 years in Zhenguan, there have been many examples of lion worship in Guo Kang and other countries. During the reign of Tianbao in Kaiyuan, the number of countries offering sacrifices to lions increased, including countries in Central Asia, West Asia and even Europe, such as Fuyi, Guy, Persia and the United States, so the number of lions offered sacrifices naturally increased.

It is against this background that people in China began to get familiar with lions and wrote poems and songs to describe this king of beasts from the grassland. On the other hand, many objects carved with lion images were also introduced into China. For example, during the Jin Dynasty after the Five Dynasties, Uighur Khan presented jade carving lions and beasts; In the last week, even Houshu presented silver incense lion stoves and other things. In this way, the lion culture is gradually enriched in China.

Extended data:

In China, lion culture has very rich connotations, including the lion species itself, as well as artistic and cultural activities, religious beliefs, living customs and architectural techniques related to lions.

On the grand celebration palace stage, the magnificent "Five-party Lion Dance" is constantly staged; Even among the people, lions are used as mascots to exorcise evil spirits and entertain people's lives.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Lion Spirit