In the Qing-era (Qianlong) painting, “Activities of the Twelfth Lunar Month” children and their attendants are seen making a “Snow Guardian Lion.” In the Qing, was the “snowlion” the standard fun winter activity in place of the snowman? Or was it simply the case here due to the palace setting?

One colleague just sent me an email that “Snow Guardian Lions” have appeared in historical records since the Song dynasty. “Snow arhats” appear in the Ming-Qing.