Tribesman riding a lion Front

Prototypes of figures riding lions first appeared on amulets in ancient Egypt. The figures stood on the lions' backs to serve the pharaoh. Similar figures also appeared in western Asia and India. Zhang Qian, a Chinese official, was sent by the Han court to the Western Regions to develop trade. At that time, countries in the Western Regions provided lions as tribute to the imperial court. During the Eastern Han dynasty, at about the same time that Buddhism was introduced, lion culture also began to influence China.