The lion's pair of wings betrays a very non-chinese mentality. Chinese animals or mythical creatures do not need wings to fly, unless it is a bird or an animal that naturally possess wings. This is also true of immortals. While western mystical animals(such as Pagasus or a unicorn), Biblical angels(Michelangelo is exception) in general, and modern western superheroes(such as superman with his cape) requires the necessary anatomy (or a symbol such as the cape) or an external force such is propulsion in order to fly, Chinese equivalents glide through space without them. Generally speaking, this is in part due to the Chinese sense of space and time being moral(that is, mental) while that of the west is material( that is, visual).