Why does no one care about the fake Pixiu in Beijing Drum Tower?

The Drum Tower in Beijing is an ancient building in China with a long history and profound cultural heritage. It attracts a large number of tourists every year. The most famous among them are the two huge clay sculptures of Pixiu in front of the Drum Tower. However, we discovered that these two Pixiu statues were actually fake! So the question is, why does no one care about the fake Pixiu in Beijing Drum Tower? Let’s analyze it below.

First of all, we need to clarify one thing, that is, who said these two Pixiu statues are fake? In fact, this statement is not entirely accurate. The Pixiu in Beijing's Drum Tower is made of clay by professional clay sculptors. Although it is not carved from real stone, it is not fake. These brave animals are now considered treasures of Chinese folk art and are listed as Beijing's municipal intangible cultural heritage, so they do not need to be taken care of.

So why do some people think that these two Pixiu statues are fake? This may be related to the cultural symbol of the stone brave. Stone Pixiu is a stone product carved in ancient times to ward off evil spirits. It is usually carved into the shape of a lion or Pixiu. In ancient times, stone Pixiu was widely used in the lintels or in front of doors of government offices, temples, and wealthy merchants; or it was placed in some specific places to suppress evil spirits and protect peace. In modern times, Stone Pixiu is considered a kind of patron saint to ward off evil spirits, and has therefore become a material for making jade, sculptures, jewelry, etc.

Due to the high value of stone Pixiu, many fake Pixiu have appeared on the market. These Pixiu are imitated with cheap materials and sold to unskilled buyers, causing certain losses and impact.

From this perspective, some tourists may think that compared with the stone Pixiu, the clay sculpture of the Drum Tower is a bit slow, has no stone texture, and the appearance is not very good-looking. These factors may lead tourists to mistakenly believe that the two Pixiu statues are fake and to be suspicious of them.

Secondly, although the Pixiu in Drum Tower is not fake, the maintenance work is indeed not in place. We can notice that these brave animals are placed on the lawn without any base for people to see and touch them. Moreover, during the peak period of the number of tourists, there are no staff nearby to maintain them to prevent them from being pinched and touched by tourists, and some people even climb up to take pictures.

So, how can the Pixiu in Drum Tower be better maintained? In fact, this is also a problem that needs to be solved. We can start from the following aspects:

1. Configure a suitable place for Pixiu. You can consider setting up a base so that people can easily watch it.

2. Increase maintenance personnel and impose strict requirements on those responsible for guarding to ensure that they receive sufficient training and are capable of responding to emergencies.

3. Publish relevant knowledge about precious Pixiu to the society, let tourists understand the cultural value of Pixiu, thereby increasing the attention and protection of Pixiu.

In short, the Pixiu in the Drum Tower is not fake, it is a treasure that reflects Chinese folk art. If handled properly, these two Pixiu statues can also become important channels for displaying culture.