What animal is watching the gate?

The ancient gatekeeper is a pepper map of one of the legendary sons of Kowloon.

Jiao Tu is the fifth son of the nine sons of the Dragon in ancient Han myths and legends.

It looks like a snail and is very quiet, so people often carve its image on the head of the gate or portray it on the door panel. Snails always meet and shell when they are attacked by foreign objects. People use it on doors, which means it can be closed to ensure safety.