The structural health monitoring system for Cangzhou Iron Lion has set an example for the protection of large outdoor cultural relics.The general guidelines of the structural health monitoring system were proposed and framed based on the Cangzhou Iron Lion's structural features and particular protection principles.Sensors and data acquisition system were carefully studied,the lectotype and optimal locations of sensors were selected；the optimum hardware system for data acquisition was allocated and a special software system was developed by LabVIEW.The data management system was exploited using a central database built by SQL Server and the human computer interfaces designed by Delphi.A corresponding data analysis program was also developed.A special FE analysis module based on ANSYS was developed by MATLAB.Preliminary structural safety assessment values were discussed.The system integration platform was set up by Delphi,which coordinates different subsystems of the health monitoring system cooperate smoothly,all relevant interface programs were compiled with ANSYS,MATLAB,etc.Finally,the test experiments of Cangzhou Iron Lion structural health monitoring system were carried out to prove its reliability.The results show that data can reflect basic structural performances.