World Children's Story Classics: Family Stories

Chapter 58 The Story of the Stone Lion
In front of ancient buildings in our country.You can always see a stone lion crouching on one side.

In fact, lions are mainly produced in Africa, and China does not produce lions at all.According to historical records, the earliest lions appeared in China was after Zhang Qian traveled to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty.It is said that among the many tributes that a king of the Western Regions paid tribute to Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty, there was a mighty lion.Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty liked the lion very much, and immediately delivered a decree: After his death, the lion would protect his mausoleum.This is difficult for those ministers who are in charge of building the imperial tomb. How can a live lion squat there honestly to protect the tomb?Finally, a clever craftsman chiseled a pair of stone lions to solve the problem.

Since then, many dignitaries have also carved a pair of majestic stone lions in front of their mausoleums and official residences, and this custom has even continued to this day.

(End of this chapter)