History Main / AsianLionDogs

These creatures tend to be freely appended to East Asian & Mainland Southeast Asian cultures, their {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s and [[TheThemeParkVersion theme park versions]] thereof, [[InterchangeableAsianCultures including ones not actually based on China itself]]. In some cases this is justified, as the original artistic motif spread from China to most of its neighbors and statuary derived from the original stone lions is now fairly widespread -- examples of these variants include the Japanese ''komainu'', the Okinawan ''shisa'', and the Myanmari ''chinthe'', which share most of the same traits as the Chinese variant. In other cases, especially when the creatures are directly based on the Chinese style and version, it's more likely that the work's creators just didn't do their research.

These creatures tend to be freely appended to East Asian cultures, their {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s and [[TheThemeParkVersion theme park versions]] thereof, [[InterchangeableAsianCultures including ones not actually based on China itself]]. In some cases this is justified, as the original artistic motif spread from China to most of its neighbors and statuary derived from the original stone lions is now fairly widespread -- examples of these variants include the Japanese ''komainu'', the Okinawan ''shisa'', and the Myanmari ''chinthe'', which share most of the same traits as the Chinese variant. In other cases, especially when the creatures are directly based on the Chinese style and version, it's more likely that the work's creators just didn't do their research.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', a pair of stone lions guard the shrine to Sun Yee, inside the temple compound. They're sculpted to look like two of Sun Yee's beloved red pandas, but otherwise they're [[ShownTheirWork accurately shown]] according to tradition. They also make an appearance in Mei's nightmare [[spoiler:the night before she first transforms]].

* In ''Literature/FengshenYanyi'', one of the Four Sages of Nine Dragons Island rides on a Suanni, occasionally described as the children of a Dragon and a lion.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Temple dogs of living stone are noted to be among the strange things found in the distant empire of Cathay. In ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII'', these take the form of the Jade and Jet Lions, [[PantheraAwesome leonine]] LivingStatue[=s=] that specialize in harmonizing and repelling magic respectively.

* In ''Videogame/{{Arknights}}'' the operators [[MadScientist Aak]] and [[TheBigGuy Hung]] are anthropomorphic versions of the Japanese Komainu, or a-un. Aak represents the more aggressive, lion-like a-gyo, and Hung represents the more defensive, dog-like un-gyu. Their names even make a-un when put together in their non-romanized forms.

* In its 2024 Lunar New Year event, ''VideoGame/SuperAnimalRoyale'' introduced a mostly lion-shaped version of this as an unlockable "breed" (skin) for the Super Lion avatar.

* "WesternAnimation/Hero108": Non-statue, living versions of these show up in the show, bizarrely enough referred to as Ligers, real-life crosses between a Lion and Tiger, with no mention of their dog-like traits. They live at Liger Castle, and their skin is as hard as stone, referencing their inspiration.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'': The Jaxis from the Sand Kingdom resemble an Egyptian-themed version of this, being statues of lion-like beings with teeth permanently bared in a snarl and "wearing" loosely pharaonic headdresses. You'll only find one that moves and talks, but that one refers to the statues as his family.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', a pair of stone lions guard the shrine to Sun Yee, inside the temple compound.

* ''VideoGame/CassetteBeasts'': Dandylion is based on the komainu, being a large, red, and very angular lion. However, it's associated with plants instead of fire.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Temple dogs of living stone are noted to be among the strange things found in the distant empire of Cathay.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', red panda versions of these flank the entrance to Mei's family temple.

* ''Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger'': Sei Shishi, the HumongousMecha belonging to the Shishi (Green) Ranger, Daigo, is modeled after one of these; he can use his illusion powers at giant scale. It forms the chest, arm covers and helmet of [[CombiningMecha Dairenoh]] and the back and shoulder pads of [[MechaExpansionPack Kiba Daioh]]. Season 2 of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' gave this Zord to the Black Ranger ([[LuckyTranslation which still worked because there was still a lot of black in the color scheme]], but lost the ability to project illusions (thanks to the illusion footage having a visible Japanese actor), so the Lion was useless.

Chinese guardian lions, also termed stone lions, lion dogs, foo/fu lions/dogs, temple lions, temple dogs, ''shíshī'' ("stone lion") or ''tóngshī'' ("bronze lion"), are a traditional Chinese architectural motif in the form of large stone or metal statues of crouching leonine beasts typically placed in pairs at the entrance of important buildings, such as palaces, temples, and tombs, under the belief that they will protect their post from spiritual and physical harm. They [[PortalStatuePairs traditionally come in pairs]], one holding a ball under one paw and the other with a cub on its back. They are intended to resemble lions and referred to as such in Chinese and neighboring languages, but their stylized appearance (in part due to lack of lions but plenty of large dogs as references) has led Western observers to mistake them for dogs as well.

* Official mascot of UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}} is a ''Haechi'', the Korean variant of these creatures. [[ADogNamedDog Its name is Haechi.]]

* Official mascot of UsefulNotes/Seoul is a ''Haechi'', the Korean variant of these creatures. [[ADogNamedDog Its name is Haechi.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Ganryu}} 2'' has ''shisha'' statues making up part of it's scenery, and they're booby-trapped into firing darts from their mouths at you as you approach.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza3}}'': No actual ones appear, but statues of them appear throughout Okinawa, and local Yakuza leader Shigeru Nakahara has one tattooed on his back as a symbol of his desire to protect his community.