"Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in imperial China. Chinese guardian lions are sometimes referred to in English as shishi, from the Chinese shí shī (Chinese: 石獅; pinyin: shíshī; literally: "stone lion"), which refers specifically to lion sculptures in stone. The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, subsequently spread to other parts of Asia including, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia and LaosGuardian lions are referred to in various ways depending on language and context. In Chinese they are traditionally called simply shi (獅, Pinyin: shī) meaning lion—the word shi itself is thought to be derived from the Persian word šer.[3] Lions were first presented to the Han court by emissaries from Central Asia and Persia, and by the sixth century AD they were already popularly depicted as guardian figures.[4] Today the guardian lions are more usually specified by reference to the medium or material.