The Sword Lion, an emblem of the menacing big cat with a long saber in its mouth guarding the doorways of homes in Tainan City’s Anping District, could become a mascot for Taiwan tourism.
District chief Lin Guo-ming said the tradition of sword lions dates back to the Ching Dynasty. Troops garrisoned in Anping in the settlement’s earliest days would carve images of a lion on their shields to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies, Lin explained.
They would then place their swords and shields at the doorway when they returned home, and this practice eventually evolved into the local custom of hanging a sword lion emblem above the doorway to ward off potential intruders, he said.
“Thirty years ago, every one of the more than 10,000 homes in Anping had a sword lion image carved out of wood, sculpted from stone or made with oyster shell ash. But today, there are only about 40 remaining,” Lin said.
In recent years, Anping has made a concerted effort to preserve its cultural assets, developing the sword lion as a unique symbol defining the district.
The district has applied to have the sword lion designated as a Taiwan mascot, thereby transforming its traditional role of home protector into that of a special tourist attraction, Lin said. (SB)