This thesis is a systematic examination from a historical point of view of the rich diversity of forms and images of the lion motif in Chinese space and social life. Drawing on textual, linguistic and archaeological sources, it addresses the fundamental problem inherent in the study of the lion motif in China, that is, why a foreign import was adopted, transformed and assimilated into an existing culture and how it was then widely rendered in various forms and images as though it had been an indigenous image all along. The examination begins with a search for the origins, names for and appearance of the real lion in China and a comparison of this with the images, roles and powers of the ideological lion in the Chinese mind. It proceeds through an investigation into the liking of the ruling class for lions as tomb guardian beasts in their search for a better afterlife. The thesis then focuses on the adoption of the lion motif by ordinary people as a means of approaching the divine and gaining recognition, in the process of which the image of a ferocious beast was gradually transformed into that of a rotund pet. The pet-like ??look?? of the lion came to be associated with various vernacular cultures of Southern China and assumed a unique style during Ming (1368??1644), when the form and image of the animal became a living concept with little emphasis on its physical appearance. In other words, what perpetuated the significant role of the lion in Chinese space and social life was its conceptual image, not its physical shape. Two case studies, one based in Kinmen and the other in Sydney, further demonstrate that the physical appearance of the lion motif has little effect on the power and mechanism of the mighty animal in the Chinese mind. What matters most, when placing the lion motif in front of an entry way, is the reiteration or reenactment of the conceptual image of the lion through symbols, rituals and ??traditional?? beliefs by which this particular animal motif has become an enduring legacy of Chinese communities around the world. The thesis, then, summarises the changes in the lion motif and its transformation from a physical object to a living concept free from image and form constraints as a gradual process of Chinese perception that integrated the real animal with the imagined animal, strange and unfamiliar phenomena, and the dominant and popular cultures. The context of this integration may have been significantly influenced by the bureaucratic metaphor of the ruling class. The lasting meaning and significance of the lion motif, however, is due to the vision and determination of ordinary people, who are as much prone to seeking a comfortable space and the promise of a better life as have been their rulers.

This thesis is a systematic examination from a historical point of view of the rich diversity of forms and images of the lion motif in Chinese space and social life. Drawing on textual, linguistic and archaeological sources, it addresses the fundamental problem inherent in the study of the lion motif in China, that is, why a foreign import was adopted, transformed and assimilated into an existing culture and how it was then widely rendered in various forms and images as though it had been an indigenous image all along. The examination begins with a search for the origins, names for and appearance of the real lion in China and a comparison of this with the images, roles and powers of the ideological lion in the Chinese mind. It proceeds through an investigation into the liking of the ruling class for lions as tomb guardian beasts in their search for a better afterlife. The thesis then focuses on the adoption of the lion motif by ordinary people as a means of approaching the divine and gaining recognition, in the process of which the image of a ferocious beast was gradually transformed into that of a rotund pet. The pet-like ??look?? of the lion came to be associated with various vernacular cultures of Southern China and assumed a unique style during Ming (1368??1644), when the form and image of the animal became a living concept with little emphasis on its physical appearance. In other words, what perpetuated the significant role of the lion in Chinese space and social life was its conceptual image, not its physical shape. Two case studies, one based in Kinmen and the other in Sydney, further demonstrate that the physical appearance of the lion motif has little effect on the power and mechanism of the mighty animal in the Chinese mind. What matters most, when placing the lion motif in front of an entry way, is the reiteration or reenactment of the conceptual image of the lion through symbols, rituals and ??traditional?? beliefs by which this particular animal motif has become an enduring legacy of Chinese communities around the world. The thesis, then, summarises the changes in the lion motif and its transformation from a physical object to a living concept free from image and form constraints as a gradual process of Chinese perception that integrated the real animal with the imagined animal, strange and unfamiliar phenomena, and the dominant and popular cultures. The context of this integration may have been significantly influenced by the bureaucratic metaphor of the ruling class. The lasting meaning and significance of the lion motif, however, is due to the vision and determination of ordinary people, who are as much prone to seeking a comfortable space and the promise of a better life as have been their rulers.

在這個研究中，我們嘗試將節奏的要素（速度、誇張度與時間調配）參數化，以產生能控制特定風格之人物角色的動畫。角色動作風格化的生成及控制是藉由一個層級式的動畫控制系統RhyCAP (Rhythmic Character Animation Playacting system), 透過一個節奏動作控制（Rhythmic Motion Control, RMC) 的方法來實現。RMC是基於傳統動畫的原則，設計參數化的動作指令，來產生生動並具有說服力的角色動作。此外，RMC也提供了運動行為的模型來控制角色動畫的演出。藉由RhyCAP系統所提供的高階控制介面，即使是沒有經過專業傳統動畫技巧訓練的使用者，也能夠創作出戲劇性的中國舞獅動畫。 / In this research, we attempt to parameterize the rhythmic factors (tempo, exaggeration and timing) into the generation of controllable stylistic character animation. The stylized character motions are generated by a hierarchical animation control system, RhyCAP (Rhythmic Character Animation Playacting system) and realized through an RMC (Rhythmic Motion Control) scheme. The RMC scheme can generate convincible and expressive character motions from versatile action commands with the rhythmic parameters defined according to the principles of traditional animation. Besides, RMC also provide controllable behavior models to enact the characters. By using the high-level control interface of the RhyCAP system, the user is able to create a dramatic Chinese Lion Dance animation intuitively even though he may not be professionally trained with traditional animation skills.