(This Ming representation of this creature)
This...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_guardian_lions
Chinese guardian lions or Imperial guardian lions, traditionally known in Chinese simply as Shi (Chinese: 獅; pinyin: shī; literally: "lion"), and often called "Foo Dogs" in the West, are a common representation of the lion in imperial China. The concept which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism, subsequently spread to other parts of Asia including, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia and Laos