MarinaAvila posted a photo:

This is a most impressive stone lion statue. You’ll see statues like this throughout China (and in Chinatowns throughout the world). In fact, it’s a symbol that most people instantly associate with China.

They are often outside banks and other buildings and they always come in pairs. There’ll be another lion statue just outside of this shot. According to About.com’s Chinese Culture section:

A pair of stone lions, a male and a female, can often be seen in front of the gates of traditional buildings. The male lion is on the left with his right paw resting on a ball, and the female on the right with her left paw fondling a cub.

For more information on stone lion statues, check out the article on About.com.