Tovic Salvador

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

Article (news)

CRYING HORSE

Reuters Wires

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.“People joked that the crying horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work,” Zhang said. As demand surged, she decided to continue producing the sad-faced version.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, popularised in recent years by characters such as Pop Mart’s toothy monster Labubu.“It’s the kind of emotional value young people look for these days,” said Lou Zhenxian, a Yiwu vendor who has sold festive toys for more than 25 years.By early afternoon, stacks of the crying horses outside Happy Sister had already sold out, with staff rushing to restock shelves.“We will keep selling it,” Zhang said. “This crying horse really fits the reality of modern working people.”(Production: Nicoco Chan)

A red plush horse with a downturned mouth, the result of a factory error, has gone viral on Chinese social media in the run-up to the Lunar New Year.

A red plush horse with a downturned mouth, the result of a factory error, has gone viral on Chinese social media in the run-up to the Lunar New Year.

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

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

Reuters

Published January 26, 2026 01:01 PM PHT

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lunar new year

chinese new year

china

viral toy

crying horse

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