Giant Lion Carved from Single Tree Trunk Took 20 People 3 Years to Complete

Giant Lion Sculpture - World's Largest Sculpture

Taking 20 people more than 3 years, a single tree trunk has been carved into a giant lion titled Oriental Lion. Sculptor Dengding Rui Yao led the team in carving out the enormous redwood trunk, which is now located in Fortune Plaza Times Square in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei Province.

The artists worked on the mammoth sculpture in Myanmar before it traveled a little over 3,000 miles in December 2015 to China. Measuring in at 47.5 feet long, 16.5 feet high, and 13 feet wide, the giant lion is the world's largest redwood sculpture according to Guinness World Records.

Oriental Lion‘s head, paws, and tail have been sculpted into a smooth finish, with the torso maintaining the trunk's rough texture. It's unknown if the wood was sourced from China, but we certainly hope it was a tree that was sick or dying rather than being chopped down for the project. If it did come from China, it's most likely a Metasequoia, a fast growing tree found in the Hubei Province.

The use of the lion in public sculpture is a clear choice given the animal's significance in Chinese culture. As a symbol of power, they are often used at the gates of palaces, temples, and tombs to ward off evil spirits. Since its installation in Wuhan, the giant lion has become a favorite new monument in the city.

The giant lion sculpture in China is carved from a single tree and holds the record for the world's largest redwood sculpture.

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

Giant Lion Carved from Tree Trunk - World's Largest Redwood Sculpture

h/t: [reddit, Woodworking Ideas]

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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