Standing proud in a long-forgotten corner of southeast Héběi, Cāngzhōu's Iron Lion is the oldest and largest cast-iron sculpture in China. Cast way back in 953 AD, it weighs in at around 40 tonnes, and stands almost 6m tall, but unsurprisingly for a creature that is more than 1000 years old, it is a shadow of its former self. The lion lost its tail in the 17th century; its snout and belly were damaged in a storm 200 years later; and the bronze statue of the bodhisattva Manjusri, which once sat on top of the lotus flower on its back, was stolen centuries ago.
Despite today being almost 100km from the coast, in ancient times Cāngzhōu was a large seaport, which suffered from flooding and tsunamis. The Iron Lion was built to protect the city from sea spirits, and was known back then as Zhen Hai Hou (镇海吼), the Roaring Sea-Calmer.
These days, it cuts a rather lonely figure, standing in an otherwise empty courtyard surrounded by farmland, 15km from the modern city of Cāngzhōu. But the site used to be the centre point of ancient Cāngzhōu, a walled settlement established in the far-off Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Incredibly, part of the ancient city wall , thought to have been built at the beginning of the Han Dynasty – so more than 2,200 years ago – can still be seen a short distance from here.
Your entrance ticket (¥20) comes with another ticket (¥10) for entry to a nearby courtyard, which looks like a temple, but is in fact just a small museum – called the Iron Money Warehouse (铁钱库; Tiě Qián Kù). It briefly details the history of ancient Cāngzhōu, although in Chinese only. However, the lane opposite the museum leads through farmland, and across a river to the southern section of the old, earthen city wall, 1.5km away. It's still around 5m tall here, and you walk along it in places. It once stretched for almost 10km around the city.
You can make a day trip here from either Běijīng or Tiānjīn. High-speed trains to Cāngzhōu West Station (沧州西站; Cāngzhōu Xī Zhàn) run roughly half-hourly from Běijīng South Train Station (¥95, one hour, last train back 10.30pm) and roughly hourly from Tiānjīn South Train Station (¥40, 30 minutes, last train back 9pm). From Cāngzhōu West, take bus 16 to Cāngzhōu Main Train Station (火车站; huǒchē zhàn; ¥2; 30 minutes), then bus 901 (¥3, 35 minutes). Tell the driver you want tiě shīzi (pronounced "tee-air shur zuh") and he'll show you where to get off. Then follow the signposted lane beside the bus stop for about 1km and the Iron Lion will be on your right, with the Iron Money Storehouse museum on your left.
When you're on Bus 16, consider stopping off at the huge Cāngzhōu Museum , a couple of stops from Cāngzhōu West Train Station.
