The Iron Lion of Cangzhou

The Iron Lion of Cangzhou

The Iron Lion of Cangzhou is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Iron Lion is situated about 20 kilometers southeast of Cangzhou City, in front of Kaiyuan Temple at the site of the old city, and 0.5 kilometers west of Dongguan Village. It is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. It is also one of the oldest and largest surviving cast iron artworks in China, holding significant historical, scientific, and artistic value.

The Iron Lion of Cangzhou is located approximately 16.5 kilometers northwest of the seat of the Cangzhou Municipal Government. It sits 0.5 kilometers west of Dongguan Village. The lion stands 5.78 meters tall, is 5.34 meters long, 3.17 meters wide, and weighs about 50 tons. It carries a giant basin on its back, which is said to be the lotus throne of the Bodhisattva Manjushri. The lion faces south with its head turned southwest, its front left feet forward and rear right feet behind, in a forward-moving posture. Its majestic stance and vigorous steps make it appear lifelike. The Iron Lion represents an extraordinary feat of ancient Chinese cast iron craftsmanship and is a renowned historic landmark. With a history of over a thousand years, it fully demonstrates the wisdom and artistic talent of the ancient Chinese laboring people. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Iron Lion received attention and protection from the Party and government. The State Council first listed it among the first group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units and carried out various restoration efforts.

The Iron Lion of Cangzhou, locally nicknamed the “Roar of the Sea Guardian,” is located within the old town of Cang County, in front of the former Kaiyuan Temple. The lion stands 3.8 meters tall, with a head height of 1.5 meters, a total height of 5.48 meters, a total length of 6.5 meters, and a body width of 3.17 meters. What is its total weight? Originally, it was said to weigh around 40 tons, but during its relocation in 1984 for preservation purposes, it was accurately weighed and found to be 29.30 tons. The Iron Lion of Cangzhou is the largest cast iron cultural relic in China. In 1961, it was listed by the State Council as one of the first group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. The Iron Lion has become the city emblem of Cangzhou. The characters “Lion King” are cast on its head and under its neck, while the inner part of its head bears the names “Dou Tian, Guo Baoyu.” On its left rib is inscribed “Made by Li Yun of Shandong.” The interior of the lion’s body is entirely cast with the text of the Diamond Sutra. However, due to the passage of time, much of the inscription has faded and become incomplete. On the right side of the lion’s neck and near its teeth are inscriptions reading “Cast in the third year of Guangshun of the Great Zhou,” which confirms that it was cast in the third year of Guangshun during the Later Zhou Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period, i.e., 953 AD, making it over 1,000 years old. This indicates that the laboring people of ancient China had mastered such refined sculptural artistry very early on.

According to the inscriptions on the lion, the Iron Lion of Cangzhou was cast in the third year of Guangshun of the Later Zhou Dynasty (953 AD). Its casting predates the iron smelting techniques of the United States and France by seven or eight hundred years, giving the Iron Lion milestone significance in the world’s metallurgical history. Open any world metallurgical history book, and you’ll find mention of the Iron Lion of Cangzhou. Due to its high scientific research, historical, and artistic value, it serves as an extremely important physical reference for the study of ancient Chinese casting techniques, sculpture art, the level of development of social productive forces, and Buddhist history.

Despite its grand size, majestic form, and high cultural relic value, the Iron Lion has suffered severe corrosion and multiple damages over the centuries due to its age. Its body has also sunk. Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a pavilion was built to protect it, but this did not fundamentally improve its condition.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units