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Lion is the subject of this book. It's strange that lion is not a native animal in China but Chinese people make it the gate guardian. Legend goes that in Eastern Han Dynasty, a lion was brought to the emperor of China by Yueh-chih in the Western Region. No one had seen such a rare animal and people were impressed by it. In Buddhism, lion is a magical beast. Manjusri's mount is a green lion which symbolizes wisdom and power. Gradually, lion becomes a kind of decoration popular in traditional buildings and serves as the gate guardian. There are certain rules to place lions as gatekeepers. The stone lions appear in pairs: the male on the left while the female on the right if looking out from the gate, which is in line with the Yin and Yang Balance theory of Chinese culture. Despite the similar appearance, the lions have quite varied props decorated.

门兽镇守王府的石台上已有百年之久，想当初，那时候的他可威武了！然而，随着时代变迁，王府的人搬走了，宅院荒废了，原本繁华的光荣盛景，在一夕之间黯然失色，连同站在对面的那只门兽，也消失不见了！独留门兽自己孤守断壁颓垣，以及沉陷于另一只门兽莫名消失的落寞……

时间像水一样慢慢流走了；门兽也渐渐被人遗忘……