Everywhere you go, a pair of lions guards the entrance of a respectable establishment, be it a temple, restaurant, government agency, bank, or simply a residential house. The most common material is stone. Some of them are made with iron or bronze.
Lions do not exist in China naturally. Since there were no live examples, the ancient artists created the mythical lions to guard entrances. They are mostly modeled after dogs — more cute than fierce.
The lions are not symmetrical. Facing away at the door, the left-side should sit the male lion and the right-side female. The female usually cuddles a puppy with her paw. Some of the more creative ones have the puppies climbing all over her. The male one, on the other side, typically plays with a ball.