Drum-shaped door stone

The drum-shaped door stone (men gushi or men guzi) is placed on both sides of the gate of a traditional courtyard house. It is a highly decorative stone component with practical value, as its rear is fashioned into a bearing stone used to anchor the door. The door drum comes in two main varieties: round and square, with carvings on both sides, the front and the top. The patterns on the sides of the round drum stone often feature lotus, pine, bamboo, plum blossoms, unicorns nestled under pine trees, or rhinoceroses gazing at the moon. The front side generally features carvings of Ruyi (a pattern symbolizing good fortune), the Baoxiang flower (an imaginary flower symbolizing sacredness, dignity, and beauty), and five lions (a representation of five generations living together enjoying familial harmony), and the top usually features a carved animal mask.