Chinese guardian lions Chinese guardian lions Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lions, often miscalled "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in imperial China. Chinese guardian lions are sometimes referred to in English as shishi, from the Chinese shí shī (), which refers specifically to lion sculptures in stone. The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, subsequently spread to other parts of Asia including, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos and Singapore. Since the introduction of the lion symbolism during the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220) from
Susanna Foo Inspiration — New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine". In 2009, she made the decision to sell Susanna Foo after running it for 22 years. Her husband had fallen ill, and she still had another restaurant closer to home in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen. Foo's husband died a year later, and she closed the Radnor restaurant in 2015. At the age of 72, Foo came out of retirement in 2016 to open a new restaurant, Suga, with her son Gabriel. He had wanted to open a restaurant, and Foo felt that she was not yet finished with demonstrating modern Chinese