Chinese Guardian Lions - Ottawa, Ontario
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Weathervane
N 45° 24.676 W 075° 42.386
18T E 444722 N 5028881
These Chinese guardian lions, a gift from the City of Beijing, are located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Waymark Code: WMDM3A
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/29/2012
Views: 29
The two guardians lions are located at the base and east of the arch. The male lion is holding the world and the female is holding a cub.
"Of Chinese imperial-style design, the arch is a symbol of prosperity, health and good fortune. The City of Beijing provided the architectural design and all non-structural finishing and decorative material installations for the arch, including two gateway lions."
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Chinese Guardian Lions:
"Chinese guardian lions, known as Shishi, or Imperial guardian lion, and often incorrectly called "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China. They have traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy, from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits. Pairs of guardian lions are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of the entrance, in China and in other places around the world where the Chinese people have immigrated and settled, especially in local Chinatowns.
A Ming Dynasty Shishi in the Forbidden City
A Qing-era guardian lion pair within the Forbidden City. Note the different appearance of the face and details in the decorative items, compared to the earlier Ming version
The lions are always created in pairs, with the male resting his paw upon the world and the female restraining a playful cub that is on its back. They occur in many types of Chinese pottery and in Western imitations."
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