One of
四大天王 ('Four Heavenly Kings') guarding Buddhist temple entrances. He guards the south, holds a sword (some traditions say to ward off evil; some say it controls the wind
风). Often paired in Chinese tradition:
风调雨顺 'favorable weather' is encoded in the four kings' attributes (
剑/
琵琶/
伞/
蛇 =
风/
调/
雨/
顺).
