Explainer | Why red cloth covers guardian stone lions in China during auspicious events
Some villagers believe covering lion’s eyes on wedding day helps ‘prevent bride’s mother-in-law from being too demanding’
It is common to see pairs of sizeable stone lions guarding the front doors of Chinese restaurants and hotels across China. This tradition, passed down from ancient times, involves lion statues – typically carved from stone – that are believed to possess the power to protect commercial establishments from harmful spiritual influences.
However, these stone lions are sometimes seen with their heads or eyes covered by red cloth. In this context, the Post explores the various mythical beliefs behind this unusual practice.
Preventing bad luck
In some rural areas of China, villagers cover the faces or eyes of the stone lions with red or pink cloth or paper on the wedding days of new couples.
They superstitiously believe that the fierce gaze of these majestic guardian lions could bring bad luck to the newlyweds. Consequently, if the lions are located along the route from the bride’s maiden home to the groom’s home – traditionally seen as the couple’s future residence – the villagers cover the lions’ eyes.
A user on Douyin, the mainland version of TikTok, from central China’s Henan province, also interpreted this practice as a way to “prevent the bride’s mother-in-law from being too demanding.”
