Guardian Lions in Wuhouci, Chengdu

The Wuhouci (武侯祠 wǔhóucí) is an impressive shrine dedicated to Zhuge Liang of the famous Chinese epic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as other characters in the story. It features a fascinating range of guardian lions.

Wuhouci, Chengdu, Sichuan

Entrance

The lions that guard the entrance of Wuhouci are large enough to permit some freedom of expression. Although the cub is still under its mother's paw, it is large, lifelike, and relatively independent.

Female

Male

First lions inside the entrance

This is the first set of stone lions inside Wuhouci. While the figures are chunky in style, the male and female exhibit clear anatomical differences from behind, a rarity in guardian lions.

Guardian lion in Wuhouci (female) - diagonal view

Guardian lion in Wuhouci (male) - diagonal view

Female

Male

More guardian lions in Wuhouci

The two pairs below are very similar in style and execution. The most salient difference is that one pair has bells at the front while the other does not.

Female

Male

Female

Male

On the entrance to a building

These are guardian lions decorating the solid banisters at the entrance to a building. Although their form is flattened, care has been taken to distinguish the pair by giving the female a lion club.

Female

Male

Lions on pedestal

This quirky pair of lions is not made of stone but appears to have been formed out of clay. Unlike the pair inside the entrance, no attempt has been made to differentiate them from behind.