both the casting age and the casting master of the iron lion were cast in the lion body. On the right side of the lion's neck, there are the words "Da Zhou Guangshun was cast in three years" and on the right rib, there are the words "Shandong Li Yunzao". According to the third year of Guang Shun in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, namely 953 AD, it has a history of more than 1 years. How tall is this largest cast iron work of art in China? The lion is 3.8m in height, 1.5m in head height, 5.3m in height, 6.1m in length and 3.17m in body width. What is its total weight? It turns out that it is said that the total weight of the iron lion is about 4 tons. In 1984, when it was moved to protect the lion, after accurate weighing, the total weight of the iron lion was 29.3 tons. The iron lion's tall body, facing south and north, held his head high, his eyes wide open with anger, his mouth wide open and his limbs spread apart, as if he were hurrying to a sudden stop, and as if he were striding forward. Its majestic momentum and lifelike posture match the three Chinese characters "Lion King" cast on its head! No wonder scholars of all ages praised it. Li Yunzheng, a scholar in Qing Dynasty, wrote "Ode to the Iron Lion", praising the Iron Lion for its "soaring vitality, starry eyes, sawed claws and hooked teeth". It's ferocious and leisurely, but at first it's rushing to stay for a long time. Tilt your head to the west and absorb the waves in Guangdian; Sweep the east with the tail off, and resist the tide in a mirage ",which gives a wonderful and vivid description of the majestic posture and momentum of the iron lion.
The casting process of iron lion costume is also amazing. Wearing mud (dust-proof mat) and shouldering a huge lotus basin, the lotus basin has a diameter of 1 meter at the bottom, a diameter of 2 meters at the top and a height of .7 meters, which can be detached. According to legend, this is the lotus seat of Manjusri Buddha statue. The lion's hair is wavy or curly, hanging down to the neck, and there are straps floating on the chest and buttocks, with the ends hanging down on the shoulders and crotch. In addition, there are many inscriptions inside and outside the lion's body. In addition to the above-mentioned casting date and the name of the caster and the money donor, the word "Lion King" is also cast on the top of the head and under the neck, and there are King Kong scriptures cast in beautiful official script in the abdominal cavity, which have certain calligraphy and archaeological value. Unfortunately, most of them are vague now, and only a few figures are vaguely recognizable.
The exquisite casting technology of Iron Lion is really a treasure of casting technology in China. However, how was this iron lion with a total weight of 3, kilograms cast? According to research, this is a special "mud Fan Ming casting method" adopted by the ancients, which was formed by overlapping casting in sections. The iron lion has a smooth belly, and the outside is made of 3-4 cm-long blocks, which are built layer by layer and poured in layers. * * * is made of 544 pieces of blocks. With the manual smelting and casting technology more than 1 years ago, such a monster can be cast, which shows that its molding, smelting and casting processes are quite high, which fully shows the high achievements of ancient Chinese casting technology.
In the spring of p>1957, a Soviet expert visited Cangzhou. When he saw the majestic image and majestic momentum of the iron lion, he admired and admired the intelligence of the ancient working people and craftsmen in China. However, when he found that the iron lion was crippled in many places due to years of wind and rain erosion, especially when his chin was damaged and incomplete, he said with emotion: "This precious cultural relic is a national treasure. If it is to be protected by Canada in our country, I will go to see it every day, because it can be cited as the pride of the country and the nation."
how to protect this national treasure has always been attached great importance by the local government and cultural relics departments at all levels, and some protective measures have been taken. However, it is very regrettable and disturbing that in recent years, the iron lion began to crack. At present, the trunk of the iron lion is well preserved, but there are cracks in all limbs to varying degrees. Due to wind and rain erosion, the whole body is seriously corroded. Provincial and municipal cultural relics departments have collected the "medical plan" of Iron Lion from the whole country, and National Cultural Heritage Administration even invited experts from the United States, Britain and Japan to study the protection plan in Cangzhou. We look forward to the early success of the restoration, so that the iron lion can regain its majestic posture.