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Giant Lion Carved From Single Tree By 20 People In 3 Years Becomes The World’s Largest Redwood Sculpture
A giant wooden sculpture of a roaring lion now stands proudly in a Central Chinese city square, and the journey it took to get there makes it all the more spectacular.
The Oriental Lion, as it has been dubbed, was carved from a single redwood tree trunk over the span of 3 years. Established Chinese architect Dengding Rui Yao, reportedly assisted by over 20 people, initiated the project in Myanmar, where the carving was seen through. Finally, when the great beast was finished in December of 2015, it was transported over 3000 miles to reach Wuhan’s Fortune Plaza Times Square. At 47.5 feet long, 16.5 feet high, and 13 feet wide, the Oriental Lion is a force to be reckoned with.
Lions play a significant role in traditional Chinese culture. When Buddhism spread from India to China, so did many of its symbols, including the lion. Seen as protectors, lion statues became a common installation at the gates of imperial palaces, including the legendary Forbidden City in Beijing. Today, they can even be found outside of hotels and restaurants, just in case any evil spirits drifted from the Han dynasty into modern times.
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What do you think ?
Đen Nguyễn 7 years ago
Took 20 people 3 years to complete, but probably took the tree hundreds and thousand of years to grow to that size.
King Dràgon the First 2 years ago
They definitely don’t take hundreds of years to grow stop exaggerating
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Nancy E 7 years ago
Different countries cultures vary, but, to me , the giant redwood is more beautiful than the lion. The tree says, I'm majestic ,enjoy long life , & , I'm alive. The lion says , I sacrificed a living tree , had 3 years of work , for art.
Rivkaka 7 years ago
It is a spectacular sculpture! But I was curious why that amazing tree was cut down for this? I hoped I would read it in the intro text.
Anne Madag 7 years ago
agree, Imagine that tree was remove (in 4th pic) then what will be look of that place :(
Load More Replies...
Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
Because THAT is the size tree it takes to make a RECORD BOOK large lion sculpture! I would rather see the tree!!!
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Jonathan Parkin 7 years ago
Everyone here seems to be in perfect agreement: The lion sculpture, fine as it is, will never bear the majesty nor give the world the goodness of the Tree that was sacrificed to make it. Ugh. You just don't treat old growth like that. Stone is a much more abundant material to use, far more durable, and comes with the added benefit of not requiring the death of a magnificent part of the ecosystem to create.
Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
But stone wouldnt get them a "record breaking" large sculpture! They obviously wanted it to be in the record books! SELFISH!
Load More Replies...
Amazing Unicorn 7 years ago
You do realize it FELL down, right? I saw this post on another site and it said that after this giant tree FELL down, they did not want they tree to go to waste.
CluelessLlama13 7 years ago
Everyone should be a bit more like Amazing Unicorn here and not jump to conclusions that will only make you angry. Thank you, Unicorn.
Load More Replies...
Adam Quinney 7 years ago
It's very impressive, but would have been far more impressive and beautiful as a living tree.
Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
Of course they are!!! Do you have ANY idea how many hundreds of years it took for that tree to get to that size?! THAT is what is impressive! THAT is what you MUST respect!
Load More Replies...
James Tong 3 years ago
Everybody hating on the use of a tree to set a world record😆 In the meantime, Poland has the longest wood sculpture at 47 ft and Canada has the tallest totem pole at 180 ft🤔🤔
Robert Brooks 7 years ago
Those complaining about the stupid tree are ignorant of forestry....For, while giant trees are awesome, they stifle the other trees around them...Lord knows there are plenty of old giant trees to look at...This lion is AWESOME!
Full Name 7 years ago
Oh FFS, so it's totally fine to cut down millions and millions of smaller trees, but one tree to make this magnificent master piece is a problem? *palmface*. It's not like these are a friggin epidemic. I'm sure monster lion carvings aren't deforesting whole redwood populations. You're like those people who flip out cuz someone kills a wild lion on a reserve, while you eat a cheeseburger made of a cow who suffered it's whole short life.
Karin Morris 4 years ago
Actually i never use paper if I can help it (work pushes it unfortunately) but trees are farmed for materials like that, they are grown specifically for the production of paper and toilet paper etc) Also I haven't eaten cow in 30 years. I believe this tree for the lion was already dead. It's not the tree in the picture but I absolutely agree a beautiful living tree that produces oxygen and many other beneficial eco processes should NEVER be cut down for human pleasure.
Load More Replies...
Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
Its beautiful, but it looks like it has leprosy or sarcoptic mange, whats up with that???
David kidd 7 years ago
Beautiful art, really....massive... The detail, size, time, dedicated artists..
tweetybird 7 years ago
beautiful sculpture but you cut down an amazingly beautiful tree to make it
Art Thingies 7 years ago
Those two Lions are standing in a Ebony museum in Leshan.... was there in November this year. I already thought it looked familiar.
Art Thingies 7 years ago
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18422083_10212016418543283_957319940453371216_o.jpg?oh=cdba27a54125c76b2462e7debd863744&oe=59AFB758
Load More Replies...
Robertus Kanski 4 years ago
it's epic, but they chopped down such a ancient, healthy tree for that? Sorry, I wont 'like' it. Stupidity.
Eliza Rose 5 years ago
Cut down giant redwood for giant lion statue. Because the Chinese have small d***s.
Rebecca Su 7 years ago
Difficult to say which is more beautiful, the giant redwood tree or this lion sculpture.
Les Cuebas 7 years ago
well i would like to know why a picture of the largest camphor tree in Japan is being shown and also why the last picture of the sculpture in the square CLEARLY in NOT the same sculpture in the previous pictures. you can see the differences in the mouth, mane, nose, whiskers etc. so what the heck is going on here?
Kevin3475 7 years ago
Nooooo wayyyyyy!!!!!!! Very good teaching for your childrens!!!!! different countries, different cultures is not an excuse......without the green-lung we will all death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Think about yours super-bad polluted cities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Red-Naxela Grub-Rettag 7 years ago
Okay, yes it's a Great Wooden Sculpture, but they kill this beautiful old tree for this. :-(
Nikita L Brits 7 years ago
They destroy an ancient tree in the name of art? Mmm... where man is, destruction follows
Iskrena Dimitrova 7 years ago
The tree that was cut down would have been majestically huge, for this sculpture to come out of it. It makes me sad, not proud.
Juan Alcorta 7 years ago
Seriously, why did they cut down the tree? Nice sculpture, horrible buildings in the back.
Đen Nguyễn 7 years ago
Took 20 people 3 years to complete, but probably took the tree hundreds and thousand of years to grow to that size.
King Dràgon the First 2 years ago
They definitely don’t take hundreds of years to grow stop exaggerating
Load More Replies... Nancy E 7 years ago
Different countries cultures vary, but, to me , the giant redwood is more beautiful than the lion. The tree says, I'm majestic ,enjoy long life , & , I'm alive. The lion says , I sacrificed a living tree , had 3 years of work , for art.
Rivkaka 7 years ago
It is a spectacular sculpture! But I was curious why that amazing tree was cut down for this? I hoped I would read it in the intro text.
Anne Madag 7 years ago
agree, Imagine that tree was remove (in 4th pic) then what will be look of that place :(
Load More Replies... Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
Because THAT is the size tree it takes to make a RECORD BOOK large lion sculpture! I would rather see the tree!!!
Load More Replies... Jonathan Parkin 7 years ago
Everyone here seems to be in perfect agreement: The lion sculpture, fine as it is, will never bear the majesty nor give the world the goodness of the Tree that was sacrificed to make it. Ugh. You just don't treat old growth like that. Stone is a much more abundant material to use, far more durable, and comes with the added benefit of not requiring the death of a magnificent part of the ecosystem to create.
Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
But stone wouldnt get them a "record breaking" large sculpture! They obviously wanted it to be in the record books! SELFISH!
Load More Replies... Amazing Unicorn 7 years ago
You do realize it FELL down, right? I saw this post on another site and it said that after this giant tree FELL down, they did not want they tree to go to waste.
CluelessLlama13 7 years ago
Everyone should be a bit more like Amazing Unicorn here and not jump to conclusions that will only make you angry. Thank you, Unicorn.
Load More Replies... Adam Quinney 7 years ago
It's very impressive, but would have been far more impressive and beautiful as a living tree.
Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
Of course they are!!! Do you have ANY idea how many hundreds of years it took for that tree to get to that size?! THAT is what is impressive! THAT is what you MUST respect!
Load More Replies... James Tong 3 years ago
Everybody hating on the use of a tree to set a world record😆 In the meantime, Poland has the longest wood sculpture at 47 ft and Canada has the tallest totem pole at 180 ft🤔🤔
Robert Brooks 7 years ago
Those complaining about the stupid tree are ignorant of forestry....For, while giant trees are awesome, they stifle the other trees around them...Lord knows there are plenty of old giant trees to look at...This lion is AWESOME!
Full Name 7 years ago
Oh FFS, so it's totally fine to cut down millions and millions of smaller trees, but one tree to make this magnificent master piece is a problem? *palmface*. It's not like these are a friggin epidemic. I'm sure monster lion carvings aren't deforesting whole redwood populations. You're like those people who flip out cuz someone kills a wild lion on a reserve, while you eat a cheeseburger made of a cow who suffered it's whole short life.
Karin Morris 4 years ago
Actually i never use paper if I can help it (work pushes it unfortunately) but trees are farmed for materials like that, they are grown specifically for the production of paper and toilet paper etc) Also I haven't eaten cow in 30 years. I believe this tree for the lion was already dead. It's not the tree in the picture but I absolutely agree a beautiful living tree that produces oxygen and many other beneficial eco processes should NEVER be cut down for human pleasure.
Load More Replies... Melody Lanzatella 7 years ago
Its beautiful, but it looks like it has leprosy or sarcoptic mange, whats up with that???
David kidd 7 years ago
Beautiful art, really....massive... The detail, size, time, dedicated artists..
tweetybird 7 years ago
beautiful sculpture but you cut down an amazingly beautiful tree to make it
Art Thingies 7 years ago
Those two Lions are standing in a Ebony museum in Leshan.... was there in November this year. I already thought it looked familiar.
Art Thingies 7 years ago
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18422083_10212016418543283_957319940453371216_o.jpg?oh=cdba27a54125c76b2462e7debd863744&oe=59AFB758
Load More Replies... Robertus Kanski 4 years ago
it's epic, but they chopped down such a ancient, healthy tree for that? Sorry, I wont 'like' it. Stupidity.
Eliza Rose 5 years ago
Cut down giant redwood for giant lion statue. Because the Chinese have small d***s.
Rebecca Su 7 years ago
Difficult to say which is more beautiful, the giant redwood tree or this lion sculpture.
Les Cuebas 7 years ago
well i would like to know why a picture of the largest camphor tree in Japan is being shown and also why the last picture of the sculpture in the square CLEARLY in NOT the same sculpture in the previous pictures. you can see the differences in the mouth, mane, nose, whiskers etc. so what the heck is going on here?
Kevin3475 7 years ago
Nooooo wayyyyyy!!!!!!! Very good teaching for your childrens!!!!! different countries, different cultures is not an excuse......without the green-lung we will all death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Think about yours super-bad polluted cities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Red-Naxela Grub-Rettag 7 years ago
Okay, yes it's a Great Wooden Sculpture, but they kill this beautiful old tree for this. :-(
Nikita L Brits 7 years ago
They destroy an ancient tree in the name of art? Mmm... where man is, destruction follows
Iskrena Dimitrova 7 years ago
The tree that was cut down would have been majestically huge, for this sculpture to come out of it. It makes me sad, not proud.
Juan Alcorta 7 years ago
Seriously, why did they cut down the tree? Nice sculpture, horrible buildings in the back.
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