The two pairs of stone lions by the Gate of Tian’anmen served as guardians in the old days. They gazed toward the middle axis guarding the emperors’ walkway. Taking a careful look at the stone lion on the west, you will find a small hole in the belly. It is said that this hole was left when the Allied Forces of Eight Powers invaded Beijing. Another saying is that Li Zicheng, the Peasant Uprising leader, made the hole with his spear in 1644.
