狗 佛
Foo dogs (sometimes spelled
fu or
fo) or foo
lions are
mythical beasts commonly found at
temple,
tomb or
garden entrances, where they perform a
gargoyle's task of protecting buildings against
evil spirits. The animal, usually carved from
stone, is most commonly shown with its
paw on a
sphere, standing guard with teeth
bared, discouraging evil spirits and wrong doers from entering. They look like a cross between a
stout dog and a lion, an animal that does not occur in Chinese
primitive art, but was introduced later in connection with
Buddhism as the
defender of law and protector of
sacred buildings. Their fierce countenance can be found in
open and
closed mouth varieties: the foo dog with the open mouth sucks in all evil spirits; the closed mouth dog keeps them contained. Even
The Forbidden City in Beijing, China is guarded by foo dogs. It is also known as the
Happiness Dog, as well as the
Celestial Dog, an emblem of value and energy. Foo dog symbolism appears in studies of
feng shui, but it is most commonly associated with the
Buddhist religion.
As a symbol of the Buddhist religion, depictions of foo dogs are widespread across
Asia.
Koreans commonly call them the "
Lion of Korea." In China, it is commonly called "the Dog of Fo," Fo, being the Chinese word for
Buddha. The lion is sacred to Buddhism and is sometimes presented as offerings to Buddha. It was a
companion of Buddha, and is considered to be a
fantastic animal, not unlike a
dragon. An alternate explanation for the name is that it is derived from the city of
Foochow, where a
dog breed associated with the mythical beast originated. The
earliest traces of foo dogs appear in the
Han Dynasty (208 BC to 221 AD). The animal disappeared from use for the next 400 years, reappearing in art from the
T'ang Dynasty (618 to 917 AD). Many paintings of
Buddhist deities show them riding the back of a
smiling foo dog, either in pursuit of
evil spirits or spreading
happiness and joy.
Foo Dogs of a
less mythical nature also
exist. A dog breed originating in the Chinese city of
Foochow, The
Chinese Foo Dog traces its
ancestry back over 3000 years. It's progenitors include the
Spitz Foo Dog and several other
Asian breeds. It was originally used as a
hunter and a
guard dog, gradually finding its way into a role as a
household pet. They have been breed into
standard,
miniature, and
toy sizes. Standard Foo Dogs are not overly
large, commonly growing to about 14 inches in height and between 20 to 40 pounds. They look like stout fuzzy
Husky-
Samoyed mixes, with colors ranging from black to cream, occasionally
sable or
wolfgray. They have a signature
high set curled tail which curves toward the
back. They are very
protective of their owners, much like their
mythical counterparts.