In the countryside, it is common to see some large buildings and houses with two lions in front of them, and the hall in front of the house is always hung with a painting of the tiger in front of the hall. This is a fulfillment of the proverb "the lion guards the gate, the tiger sits in the middle hall".
So, the question is, rural housing construction is so arranged, what is the exquisite?
Different from the "dragon" in traditional culture, lions and tigers, as beasts of prey, are real in nature, and people advocate their brave spirit, giving them a very different cultural color, because of the difference in the cultural connotations they represent, they have formed: "the lion guards the gate, the tiger sits in the middle hall" Statement.
Let me analyze the specific reasons:
01
Lions guard the gates
Let's look at the first half of the sentence: "The lion guards the gate."
In ancient times, people paid great attention to feng shui luck, adhering to the principle of "everything is mutually exclusive", borrowing some majestic things to suppress evil qi and ensure peace.
Lions are not native to China. The historical Zhang Qian went out to the Western Regions, saw the lion, felt that its majestic appearance image could be comparable to the tiger in the Central Plains, and brought back the Han.
When the Han Dynasty people saw it, they loved the majestic and solemn image of the lion very much, and felt that they could use stone carvings into lion statues to suppress evil spirits, so as to bless themselves and avoid evil.
During the Tang Dynasty, the image of the lion began to go to the people, and the pillars of the city's archways would be carved with stone lions as decorative effects. After the Song Dynasty, large families began to put lion statues in their own yards to guard the door, and some people placed them in the tombs to ward off evil spirits.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the gatekeeper stone lion also had a strict hierarchical distinction, and only the families of the powerful were allowed to be placed, representing identity and status. The low status and poor families of ordinary people are not suitable for placing stone lions at the doorstep. Otherwise people will laugh at you for being "fat in the face." ”
In modern society, whether to place stone lions in front of the people's homes is no longer so taboo. As long as there are conditions, anyone can place two stone lions in front of their homes.
The purpose of the stone lions placed by the present people to guard the door is to use the town house to ward off evil spirits and protect the health and safety of their families. The second is to imply that wealth is treasured, because the stone lion opens its mouth widely, representing the swallowing of luck and wealth. In addition, the stone lion is also a fine work of art, which can enhance the beauty of the house architecture.
In short, "the lion guards the gate," which means to take advantage of its majestic courage and courage to take care of the family, avoid evil, restrain bad luck, and ensure the safety of the family.
02
The tiger sits in the middle hall
Look at the second half of the sentence: "The tiger sits in the middle hall." "The portrait of the tiger is hung in the hall because the tiger has a lofty status in the zodiac.
Chinese folk are known as "dragons fighting tigers", and tigers and dragons are on a par. Therefore, hanging a tiger statue means rising step by step and prospering family fortunes. And the tiger also has the meaning of attracting wealth and treasure.
Some peasant houses hang tiger paintings, that is, to borrow their artistic image, inspire future generations, boost morale, hope that they can have tigers and tigers angry, masculine and mighty, dare to fight and dare to break through, have a tiger strength, become a strong person in life, encounter difficulties and dare to overcome, and meet competitors. ”
This principle is similar to the principle of the ancient Chinese in martial arts. The ancients created tiger fist, five shapes and eight fists, all have tiger moves: "black tiger digging heart", "fierce tiger down the mountain" and other moves, with tiger style training, there is masculinity.
Therefore, "the tiger sits in the middle hall" represents the spirit of shangwu, is not weak in life, is strong and soft, and cultivates both culture and martial arts, and encourages future generations to go out and start a business, such as a fierce tiger going down the mountain, the momentum is unstoppable, the tiger and tiger are powerful and make the enemy afraid, and the ambition is high and the king of the people.
In addition, since ancient times, paintings on tigers have formed a variety of works of art, with profound connotations and far-reaching meanings. For example, Tang Bohu's painting of tigers is very famous, and a painting is worth thousands of gold.
The valuable art tiger paintings hung in the hall house reflected that the family owner had a unique collection hobby and interest, and had a good aesthetic accomplishment. It also shows from one side that the family is solid.
"The lion guards the gate, the tiger sits in the middle hall". No matter how people arrange it, it is determined according to their own hobbies and needs, and it inspires life through its meaning, representing that different people have different yearnings and pursuits for life.
The heart has thoughts, things have been accomplished, the hearts have become spirits, and inspirational growth has ambition. "Turnip cabbage, each has its own love", about the different preferences and identities of tigers and stone lions, the differences in which only represent different cultural beliefs.