Iron Lion of Cangzhou, Iron statue in Cang County, China
The Iron Lion of Cangzhou is a large cast iron statue in Cang County, Hebei Province, China, standing on the grounds of a former Buddhist temple. The lion is shown with an open mouth and is one of the largest surviving cast iron objects from Chinese history.
The statue was cast in 953 during the Later Zhou dynasty and originally stood guard at the entrance of Kaiyuan Temple. The temple itself disappeared over the centuries, but the lion remained and survived through several dynasties.
On the lion's back sits a lotus throne basin that once supported a bronze figure of the Bodhisattva Manjushri. This detail shows how closely religious devotion and craftsmanship were linked in the world that produced this statue.
The statue stands in an open-air site that can be walked around freely, allowing views from all sides. Visiting in the morning tends to give better light and fewer crowds.
The lion was assembled from 409 separate iron pieces joined through a specialized casting method. This approach let craftsmen complete such a large form without the tools available in later periods.
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