Inside the hall, the throne is guarded by two luduan (mythical beasts who can detect if a person is lying).

BBC: Beijing's once Forbidden City

Mr Brannigan had welcomed the bands as "ladies, gentlemen and mythical beasts", and the event has a reputation for drunken behaviour.

BBC: Awards applaud monsters of metal

Further down we have mythical beasts with the trunk of an elephant, the head of an ox, and the feet of a sheep.

NPR: Buying Back China's Lost Art Treasures