[2025 Suide Attraction] Travel Guide for Suide Shishi Museum (Updated May)

A stunning stone carving visual feast is hidden in Suide County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, where the world's first lion is located—Stone Soul Square. Here, every stone tells a thousand-year-old story. The original site of Stone Soul Square was named 'Shiren Canal,' which once had a 3-meter-high stone man that was later destroyed. It was then planned as the main entrance of the 'Loess Culture Style Park' and named Stone Soul Square. The giant stone lion in the center of the square stands 19.5 meters high, and the stone lion museums built inside the bellies of the giant lions on both sides (not yet open) are also quite distinctive. The stone lion, as a kind of mascot in Suide folklore, is deeply loved by people. Suide is a famous hometown of stone carving in Shaanxi, with a long history and rich cultural heritage in stone carving art. Suide's stone lions are not only widely spread locally but also sold domestically and internationally, hence Suide is known as the 'Kingdom of Stone Lions' and the 'Hometown of Stone Lions.' 📍Address: No. 2 Chaoyang Road, Suide County, Yulin City 📆Opening Hours: Open all day ⏳Tour Time: 1 hour 🎫Ticket: Free

"The world's number one lion" is built on the Stone Soul Square of the Loess Culture Park in Suide County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. The two giant lion sculptures, male and female, are 19.5 meters high. Inside the giant lion is a stone lion museum, which is the first of its kind in China and abroad. The two giant lions are modeled after the stone lions of the Tang and Song dynasties, incorporating the characteristics of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The base of the giant lion is designed as a mythical beast, symbolizing longevity and good luck. Inside the two stone lion sculptures, a stone lion museum is being built, which will display various forms of stone lions, showing Suide's "lion" culture and stone carving art. The project leader introduced that after completion, the mouth of the "world's first stone lion" can accommodate more than ten people, the mouth of the lion is more than 2 meters high, and more than 3 meters wide. Suide in Yulin, Shaanxi is a nationally renowned town of stone carving, and the most skilled of the folk stone carvers is carving stone lions. In July 2013, the county built two giant stone lions - "the world's first stone lion". Female lion The female lion is 19.5 meters high and is carved from 1117 pieces of stone. The female lion is located to the west of the square, with the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva in its mouth and two playful lion cubs at its feet. The female lion on the west side of the square Male lion The male lion is 19.95 meters high, carved from 1119 pieces of stone, and is the largest stone lion in China to date. The male lion is located to the east of the square, with the wisdom-representing Manjushri Bodhisattva in its mouth. The carrier of the stone lion is a mythical beast, it is said that both the lion and the beast are the sons of the dragon, and the beast "has infinite strength and can carry the three mountains and five mountains". Male lion The base is a mythical beast There are 44 bun-shaped curls on the lion's head, like clouds flying around, as if recording the texture of time. The base is carved with traditional patterns symbolizing good luck, such as group longevity, bats, and ten thousand characters. Pattern on the male lion's head Stone Lion Museum Inside the giant lion is a stone lion museum, which is the first of its kind in China and abroad. The main exhibition area is in the hall on the first floor of the giant lion's belly. The hall is supported by three stone pillars, each of which is divided into four layers, each with stone lions from different periods as the main carving content. Cross-section of the stone lion structure Inside the giant lion is a stone lion museum that combines nature, culture, folklore, architecture, and stone lions. The museum is a pair of male and female lions, divided into A and B halls, each with four exhibition areas, rescuing, collecting, restoring, and reappearing the stone lion masterpieces scattered among the people, exhibiting more than 300 pieces of stone lion exhibits of different styles since the Han and Tang dynasties. The fourth exhibition area is located in the mouth of the giant lion, which is a religious culture exhibition area. The two halls are carved with Guanyin Bodhisattva and Manjushri Bodhisattva respectively. Museum inside the lion The hall is supported by three stone pillars, and the pillars are carved with classic stone lion patterns from different periods. Stone pillars in the museum The walls of the museum are carved with small niches in the shape of cave dwellings, displaying stone lions from different periods and cultural backgrounds. Some stone lions inside the Stone Lion Museum The lintel in front of the hall of the Stone Lion Museum has a unique "Suide Wuxiang" stone carving. Suide has the reputation of "Yangko, folk song, suona, paper cutting, stone carving" five folk cultures. In the middle of the stone carving, two dancers are holding a Boshan stove, one with a drum around his waist and the other with a suona; the left one is a female with scissors in her hand, cutting paper; the left two is a male with a hammer around his waist, holding a stone lion; the right one is a female singing a folk song, with a bird on her foot as if singing; the right two is a male dancing with an umbrella. "Suide Wuxiang" stone carving

The cave dwelling is an ancient form of residence for the inhabitants of the Loess Plateau in northwestern China. The history of this "burrowing" dwelling can be traced back more than 4,000 years ago. In the past, the farmers in northern Shaanxi were hardworking for a lifetime, and the most basic wish was to build a few holes in the cave. It is the pride of every household to have a kiln cave when it is a kiln. With the improvement of living standards, the farmers in northern Shaanxi no longer live in earthen caves. They lived in the newly-built cement caves and lived a new life!