Forbidden City

Lion - 15

When lions are in front of a residence, they signify the occupant is an official. First rank officials have lions with 13 bumps on their heads. This decreases with the official's rank, eight being the least number of bumps on the head. Officials of rank seven and below were not allowed lions outside their gates. There were altogether six pairs of bronze lions in the palace: They were placed respectively in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, Gate of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Mental Cultivation where the emperor resided and handled the routine affairs, Palace of Eternal Spring, the residence for the queen and concubines, Gate of Longevity and Quietude (now the front gate of the painting hall) and Gate of Metal Repose (now the front gate of the treasure hall).