A 'crying horse' plush toy has unexpectedly become a viral sensation ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations for the Year of the Horse in China.
Originally created by mistake, the toy's gloomy expression has captured the hearts of young workers and consumers nationwide, fueling a surge in demand and sparking conversations about modern work life and emotional expression.
The owner of Happy Sister, Zhang Huoqing, the shop selling the toy, explained that the sad-looking horse was inadvertently made when a worker sewed a smile upside down.
Zhang told Chinese media outlets, 'A lot of customers like it, and they said it makes sense: that it suits the spirit of today's corporate slaves.'
'This crying horse really fits the reality of modern working people,' she added.
The mistake was not corrected, and the resulting toy had a drooping, forlorn face. The owner expected to issue refunds to customers who purchased the plush, but the unexpected online circulation of a photo of the toy transformed its fate.
The image resonated widely, leading to the toy's sudden popularity.
'Its sad face is painfully relatable'
The toy's melancholic expression struck a chord among young Chinese workers, many of whom feel increasingly caught in the pressures of modern corporate life.
The owner of the shop noted that the sad horse seemed to symbolise the emotional state of many employees, with some commenting that the toy reflected how they look at work: tired, resigned, or overwhelmed. Others saw it as a humorous, yet relatable, depiction of workplace fatigue.
'People joked that the crying horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work,' Zhang said.
A buyer known as Tuan Tuan Mami expressed a sentiment shared by many: the crying horse embodies the frustrations faced at work, and owning such a toy is a way to release those feelings.
'This little horse looks so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work,' Mimi said in an interview.
'With this crying toy in the Year of the Horse, I hope to leave all my grievances at work behind and keep only happiness,' she said.
The toy, measuring about 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) tall, is priced at 25 yuan (£2.62). It is designed in red for good luck, with a golden collar, a bell, and embroidered golden characters saying 'money comes quickly,' aligning with traditional Lunar New Year symbols of prosperity.
'This is how you look at work'
The popularity of the toy underscores a broader cultural trend where humour and emotional expression serve as coping mechanisms amidst societal and economic pressures.
The sad horse's expression has been embraced as a form of emotional validation for young workers, who often juggle demanding workloads with limited leisure. The plush's design echoes a sentiment that many in the workforce identify with, feeling downtrodden yet hopeful for better days.
Not everyone views the toy positively. A shop owner in Yiwu, Lou Zhenxian, described the plush as 'ugly,' but acknowledged its emotional appeal to the youth.
She pointed out that many young people relate to the crying horse's expression, feeling exhausted at work and happy only after clocking out.
'But actually if everyone chases that kind of sentiment, the young people's way of thinking, it's not quite right. I believe you should work hard when at work and be happy after work, it shouldn't be two extreme opposites,' she said.
However, she also cautioned against overly romanticizing such sentiments. Lou emphasised the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective, working diligently during hours and allowing oneself to relax afterward, rather than romanticising emotional distress.
The unexpected popularity has prompted the factory behind the plush to increase production, with orders flooding in from both domestic and international markets.
The toy's viral status has turned what was once a manufacturing mistake into a lucrative product, exemplifying how social media can transform a simple error into a commercial success.
The plush's rise coincides with the upcoming Lunar New Year, which will be celebrated in February to mark the start of the Year of the Horse, one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle.
Traditionally, the Year of the Horse symbolizes energy, strength, and vitality.
