虎在中国文化中是西方的守护神，秦汉时代“四灵”之一，帝王用以守墓，历唐宋元明清，石虎姿式一成不变。
虎作抬头蹲坐状，双耳直立，怒目圆睁，虎视眈眈；前腿粗壮有力，尾盘曲腹下。虽大口紧闭，然仍暴出两颗可畏的门牙，神形兼备，蓄势待发。虎的威风和气节家喻户晓，故虎在南宋王公大臣墓前石刻中被列为第三位，表示“节”。
In Chinese culture, the tiger is the guardian deity of the west. In the Qin and Han dynasties, it was regarded as one of the "four divine creatures" and used by emperors to protect their tombs. Since then, until the Qing dynasty, the postures of stone tigers have remained the same.
This lifelike statue vividly captures the moment of the tiger being ready to move.Carved in a crouching position with its head raised, the tiger stands alert, ears erect, eyes glaring fiercely, forelegs muscular and sturdy, and the tail tucked underneath the abdomen. Though its jaws remain closed, two big canine teeth protrude menacingly. Renowned for its majestic aura and symbolic integrity, the tiger held the third position in the hierarchy of tomb statues for imperial nobles and high-ranking officials during the Southern Song dynasty, representing the virtue of "moral integrity".
