The original text is ni 猊. Also known as suanni 狻猊 or 狻麑, it is a wild beast. It has the shape of a lion, and is said to be the nine sons of dragon. Because lion did not originate from China, but could only be imported from India and Persia, scholars claims that the name suanni also came from foreign languages such as Indian or Sakan.
Immortals and beasts decorated on the ridge of Taihe Temple. The seventh one is ni.
A bronze mirror decorated with the pattern of grape and ni. Exhibit in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 
A statue of a sitting Buddha excavated from the city of Shijiazhuang (3-4 AD). The two beasts alongside the seat are ni. Exhibit in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
