DOOR GODS

At the entrance to a temple, one would be greeted with images of door gods. For your information, a door god is a Chinese decoration placed on each side of an entry to a temple, home, business, etc. The presence of the images is believed to keep evil spirits from entering the place. The door gods usually come in pairs, facing each other; it is considered bad luck to place the figures back-to-back.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_god