The Cangzhou Iron Lion is the largest cast iron lion in the world. Its importance and environmental setting necessitate a system for on-site monitoring and early warning. The data acquisition system that comprises a major component of the health monitoring system for the Cangzhou Iron Lion is described. First, the sensors used for the Cangzhou Iron were chosen based on the performance factors and characteristics of different sensors. Then, a hardware system was designed for the chosen sensors. Software was developed by using Labware as the platform, and focused on the Cangzhou Iron Lion’s special requirements. A complete data acquisition system based on virtual instrument technology was set up. Finally, experiments were done which showed that the data acquisition system could be applied to monitor the Cangzhou Iron Lion, which suggested that the developed system could support the realization of a future data acquisition system for monitoring the Cangzhou Iron Lion.