In fact, the stone lion does not belong to Ai 'an Temple, but belongs to Duyun Jicui Bridge opposite the mountain gate. This three-hole stone bridge is also called Yong 'an Bridge. It is named after a memorial arch built at each end. The north arch is a cloud, and the south arch is a green one. Some people think that Duijicui Bridge was built in the Yuan Dynasty, while Ai 'an Temple was built in the early Qing Dynasty, so these two stone lions should have existed in the Yuan Dynasty.
From the appearance, the stone lion downstairs of Duiyun brand on the north side of Yong 'an Bridge should belong to the Qing Dynasty. Liang Xinli's The Ancient Lion in Beijing also thinks so. However, the stone lions at the southern end of Yong 'an Bridge are different from those on the northern side of the bridge. It stands to reason that if it is a bridgehead or furniture accessories, it should be the same. It is estimated that there were a pair of stone lions in front of the archways on both sides of Yong 'an Bridge in the Ming Dynasty, but when Ai 'an Temple was built in the early Qing Dynasty, there should be a pair of stone lions in front of the mountain gate, and their heads also rushed outside.
However, in the Qianlong period, because of the reconstruction of Yong 'an Bridge and the expansion of Ai 'an Temple, there was no room for a pair of lions in front of the newly built mountain gate. The pair of stone lions in the Ming dynasty may have been seriously damaged and can no longer be used, so the lion in front of the mountain gate was placed in front of the archway. So what we are seeing now is the lion's "ass out" in front of Ai 'an Temple. This has also become one of the most distinctive cultural relics in Beijing.