Cat fact of the day: Time for some art history, but with cats! These statues are colloquially called Foo Dogs / Fu Dogs in the West, but in China, they are traditionally called Shi (獅) which means “lion.” There are also alternative names, such as Chinese Guardian Lions or Imperial Guardian Lions. Sometimes the name can change based on the material that the statues are made out of, such as Stone Lion (石獅) or Bronze Lion It is believed that lions were introduced to China during the Han Dynasty. In the same era, Stone Lions were first made. For awhile, these statues were reserved for the wealthy or elite. Government buildings, palaces, and temples also erected these statues. In more recent years, mass production and technological advances have expanded the reach of lion statues, allowing people from all over the world, regardless of class or statue, to purchase a Guardian Lion. Guardian Lions were thought to bring mythical protection, but they also symbolized prosperity. These statues may be seen in pairs with a male lion on the right and the female lion on the left. It is easy to dinstiguish hetween the two. Male lions have a ball under their right paw while the female lion has a cub under her left paw. Sometimes the ball under the male’s paw will be geometric. Feng shui prioritizes the positioning and pair of the lions to maximize the lion’s effects of protection. The male lion and female lion are typically seen as ying and yang since they serve as opposites, but unified forces. The female lion usually protects the internal body or soul while the male lion protects the material world. Other cultures and places have adopted a similiar architectural style or statue using different names. Even different dynasties will have their own artistic or architectural style. Many statues are still up today, which tourists can visit today. This cat was captured by a Chinese netizen that posted on douyin. There are other videos of the cat playing with the ball as well #catsoftiktok #cats #cat #cattok #catfacts #funfacts #LearnOnTikTok #cutecat #meow #cutecats #china #chinese #catperson #catlover - @daily.cat.factz