Many visitors to Beijing are often mystified and fascinated by some of the statues and ornaments which they see which are modeled on cats and lions. Here we clear up the mystery of exactly what these cats symbolize and where they are traditionally used.

Chinese Stone Guardian Lions

Many visitors to Beijing are perplexed by the symbolism of Stone Guardian Lions, shíshī (石狮), which are found in many of the city’s ancient buildings and adorn the entrances of imperial palaces, government buildings and the homes of wealthy. These statues are traditionally made of marble, granite, iron or bronze. The purpose of the lions is that of bringing good fortune and protection. If you take a closer look, you'll notice that the lions are not exactly the same. One of the lions is female and the other male – the female has its left paw resting upon a tiny lion cub, this symbolizes the cycles found within life. The male lion has his right paw resting upon a ball. The female lion is said to protect the people dwelling within the building and the male lion is supposed to be the protector of the actual structure itself . In keeping with the traditions of fengshui, if a person stands looking out from a building’s entry, the pair of huge stone cats will be facing in the same direction, the male at the persons left and female at their right.

Chinese Lucky Cat

The Chinese Lucky Cat which is commonly seen around Beijing on the premises of small businesses and even people’s homes (as well as in other countries) was really not a Chinese artifact at all. Known as Maneki Neko, or zhāocáimāo in Chinese, is a traditional ceramic artifact is a common Japanese trinket bringing the people of its home good luck and it dates back to 1870s Meiji Era Japan. Rather than waving it at people, the cat is really beckoning good luck, enticing it into the building. This misunderstanding held by many foreigners is due to the fact that Japanese people beckon in a different way to the body language employed by people from other countries in order to beckon; using a palm outstretched forwards and a fingers bent.