a mythological lion-like animal said to be the king of beasts and always associated with the Buddhist deity Monju

Shishi (Chinese: or ; pinyin: shíshīzi; “stone lion”), also called Lion of Fo, Lion of Buddha, or Dog of Fo, is, in Chinese art, a stylized figure of a snarling lion. Its original significance was as a guardian presence in a Buddhist temple. Shishi are often created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball and the female with a cub.