China is not the hometown of lions. In the Han Dynasty, Parthia (present Iran) gave some lions to China as presents. It is obvious that there is always a pair of stone lions before some big architecture in China. Lions have won favor and respect from Chinese not only because of its awe-inspiring and fierce, but also related to Buddhism. It is said that when Sakyamuni was born, with one hand pointing to the sky and the other to the earth, roared like a lion. Lions are regarded as a symbol of power and mightiness in Buddhism. With the spreading of Buddhism in China, Chinese gradually took lions as intelligent beasts to keep away the evil. Stone lion sculptures first appeared in China during the Eat Han Dynasty (25-220A.D.). From the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644A.D.) on, stone lions were put before the palaces and residences of the nobility to show power and significance and to keep away evil. Normally, out of a pair of stone lions, the one having a ball under one of its front paws is the male lion while the other with a baby lion under one of its front paws the lioness. When a pair of lions play together, their hair would tangle into the form of a ball, the baby lion would be born from this ball. This is the relationship between the lions and the ball made of stripes of silk.