Stone lions, a common item in Chinese traditional culture, are sculptures in the shape of lions carved from stone, possessing both artistic and ornamental value. The earliest stone lions are those in front of the tomb of Gao Yi during the Eastern Han Dynasty. They are a type of decorative element frequently used in traditional Chinese architecture, and can be seen on palaces, temples, pagodas, bridges, gardens, tombs, and seal rings across China. However, more often, stone lions refer specifically to a pair placed on either side of the main gate. Their design does not resemble the lions we see today, possibly because most Chinese people have never seen real lions on the grasslands. There is also a theory that the difference in lion posture is due to the Western lion.