Ever since I was a young girl, Chinese guardian lions at temples fascinated me. These magnificent beasts are also known as Imperial guardian lion or stone lions (石獅). The Chinese believe that these lions have protective powers. That is why you find many of them standing guard in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, Imperial tombs, government offices, temples, and the homes of government officials. These lions usually come in pairs, a male and a female.
The male is usually depicted playing with a ball and the female with a cub. The male lion has one paw (may be right or left) ona ball called a "xiù qiu" (绣球). In the above picture, I am pictured with a male guardian lion which stands guard at the entrance to a cave temple.
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