Year of the sad horse: Factory mistake creates viral toy in China

Описание: Year of the sad horse: Factory mistake creates viral toy in China

At Yiwu International Trade City, China’s largest wholesale market, customers crowd into a small shop searching for an unlikely bestseller ahead of the Lunar New Year. The object drawing their attention is a red plush horse with a downturned mouth, a gold bell around its neck and eyes that appear to avert the viewer’s gaze. The toy has gone viral on Chinese social media in the run-up to the holiday, which this year marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. Nicknamed the “crying horse” by online users, the toy was originally designed as a smiling New Year decoration. Its mournful expression, however, was the result of a manufacturing error. “A worker sewed the mouth on upside down by accident,” said Zhang Huoqing, owner of the Yiwu-based shop Happy Sister. Zhang said she initially offered a refund after discovering the flaw, but the customer never returned the toy. Not long after, she discovered photos of it circulating widely online. The toy’s popularity reflects the mood of many young white-collar workers in China, some of whom say the dour expression mirrors long hours and workplace stress. It also taps into a broader trend for so-called “ugly cute” toys, popularized in recent years by characters such as Pop Mart’s toothy monster Labubu.

REUTERS VIDEO

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