Originally the Hindu war-god Skanda, absorbed into Mahayana Buddhism as a Dharma protector
护法 (hùfǎ). In Chinese temples his statue stands at the back of the entrance hall facing the main shrine — 'with his back to the gate' so he can guard the Buddha Hall behind him. The pose of his vajra (
杵 chǔ) signals whether the temple offers free meals to traveling monks: pointing down = yes, held flat = sometimes, pointing up = no.
