Lions at Gate of Heavenly Purity at Forbidden City in Beijing, China - Encircle Photos

15 Lions at Gate of Heavenly Purity at Forbidden City in Beijing, China

At the entrance of the Gate of Heavenly Purity is a pair of bronze, gilded lions. Apparently they differ from the typical guardian lions because their ears point down versus stand up. The reason is they are not meant to protect against evil and intruders. Instead, these lions were a reminder to female members of the imperial family not to interfere with the official proceedings conducted in the Outer Court.

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Lions at Gate of Heavenly Purity at Forbidden City in Beijing, China

Meridian Gate, Dongcheng Qu, Donghuamen Rd, Beijing Shi, China, 100006

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