Nghê is a Vietnamese guardian creature blending the traits of lion and dog. Its name derives from the Sino-Vietnamese "toan nghê" (狻猊, "lion"), and it shares its roots with the Chinese guardian lion.
Because lions are not native to Vietnam, depictions evolved to absorb local, dog-like features. Stone or ceramic Nghê statues were set at village gates, communal temples, pagodas, and household entrances to ward off harm, with more elaborate feathered and flamed versions surviving at the Imperial City of Huế.